


Step by Step

by Moongrim, reyloanne



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Solo is an actor, Ben was injured, F/M, Modern AU, Tags May Change, child with prosthesis, enemies-to-lovers, mention of suicide, rey is a physical therapist, reylo forever
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:34:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24340636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moongrim/pseuds/Moongrim, https://archiveofourown.org/users/reyloanne/pseuds/reyloanne
Summary: Rey Kanata is a young physical therapist who returns to work in the private clinic of her friend Amilyn Holdo. Ben Solo, a movie star made famous by the "Galactic Wars” saga, has just had an accident and finds himself recuperating at the facility. His meeting with the young woman will turn his life upside down.AN: The main characters belong to DLF.
Relationships: Kaydel Ko Connix/Poe Dameron, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 269
Kudos: 307





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to nancylovesreylo who translated this story !!! ❤❤❤  
> 

Rushing footsteps were heard from the hallway, and three furious knocks soon rang out against the door. Amilyn Holdo looked up from the email she was writing on her computer. Without even waiting to hear the word "enter," a little brunette with a chubby face burst into the room and came to stand, fists on her hips, in front of Amilyn’s desk.

“I throw in the towel! This is absolutely the last straw, I just can't take it anymore! This guy is so obnoxious. Just because he's famous and plays in blockbusters doesn't mean he's allowed to be a jackass!”

Amilyn used the tip of her index finger to push up the glasses that had slipped down over her nose. It was Monday morning, and she already felt a headache creeping inexorably along her temples to her forehead.

“Rose, come on, I'm sure…”

"When I went back to his room, he threw his laptop on the ground and yelled at me to get out ! And even though he tried to apologize after that, I still think it was totally unacceptable!"

"Rose, please..."

“No, no, no, there is no ‘Rose’ who will stand for this! Snap lasted three days, Kaydel five, and I’ve been dealing with this for a week without complaining about Mr. Solo's bad temper! You know me, Amilyn, I'm a patient person, but this is too much. He is as unfriendly as possible, he refuses to do certain exercises, he’s always grumpy ... I know that Leia Organa and you are very close, but damn it, her son is a real jerk! Besides, I'm exhausted. It's been a month since Dopheld left and I take care of half of his patients! You said that finding a replacement would be child's play!”

And just like that, the headache that had been threatening all morning was now well-established. The impeccably dressed fifty-year-old with purple hair let out a long sigh, pursing her lips.

“Rose, I know that, and I'm sorry. I was wrong - finding someone really competent and reliable turns out to be more complicated than I expected.”

The little brunette rolled her eyes and came to put both hands flat on the desk of her superior. Amilyn loved Rose very much. She was a competent, honest young woman with a heart of gold who was passionate about her job.

“You and I know very well what the solution to our problem is, Dr. Holdo. You must try to convince Rey again.”

“It's not that easy, Rose.”

“Oh, yes it is. Go see her. Talk to her. You are the shrink, after all.”

“And you are her best friend…”

Now it was Rose's turn to sigh.

“But it’s you who she feels guilty toward. And despite everything that Poe, Kaydel and I were able to say to her, she’s still angry with herself, even if what happened was in no way her fault.”

“Of course she had nothing to do with it! I told her that hundreds of times. We have to give her time to…”

“It's been four months, Amilyn! Rey is the best physical therapist I know. She has to come back to work here. For her own good and that of the clinic.”

Rose was right. Holdo was fully aware of this.

“OK, I'll go see her.”

A big smile finally appeared on the round face of the young Asian girl.

“Perfect! In the meantime, there’s no way I’m going to clean up the mess that Kylo Ren made in his room,” she announced, stepping out of the director's office.

OooooO

The Whitegrove Private Clinic was one of Connecticut's most prestigious healthcare facilities, with renowned cosmetic surgery and addiction services. The center also included a center for motor rehabilitation and orthopedics. Amilyn Holdo, the founder and a psychologist by training, had used the family fortune to create this place, which was frequented mainly by patients with well-stocked wallets. Movie stars, politicians, top athletes, big bosses, all these pretty people appreciated the discretion and the quality of the care provided in the high-tech and secure premises of the clinic. The ultra-modern buildings stood in the middle of a five-acre wooded park about six miles from Greenwich. And even if facelifts, liposuction and rhinoplasty made up the majority of procedures performed on the wealthy New Yorkers - and therefore the main income stream - many donors and friends of Amilyn had signed on to support her project of offering consultations free to disadvantaged patients. This is why a brand-new clinic had just been created at the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in the heart of New York City, in which the various practitioners working in the clinic took turns volunteering.

“OK, Charlie, can you keep Kaydel in the hospital tomorrow, are you sure?”

Amilyn was driving slowly down a path strewn with ruts leading to Maz Kanata's property. After two and a half hours of travel, she had passed a red and white sign at the exit of the small town of Delmar indicating that the Kanata stud farm was only about half a mile to the left.

“Thank you very much Charlie, you are a love. Kiss Marjory and the kids for me. See you soon,” she concluded before cutting off the communication on the headset of her hands-free kit.

The sky was gray and threatening. It had stopped raining but Amilyn felt that the lull was not going to last. She parked her SUV in front of the house and saw Maz, who was already walking forward to greet her from the porch.

“Oh shit!” she swore as she got out of the car and her heel sank two inches into the muddy ground.

What an idea to leave the clinic and come here without even returning to her apartment to change! Her brand-new pair of Louboutins were ruined. Whatever. Getting Rey was more important than any pair of luxury pumps on Earth.

She progressed painfully to the house, avoiding the puddles and slush as best she could, and managed somehow to join Maz on the veranda.

“Lovely outfit,” teased the little woman behind her huge glasses.

“Lovely to see you too, Maz,” replied Amilyn, desperately trying to get rid of the mud stuck to her soles. “Sorry about your floor…”

“Oh, hush!” retorted the grandmother, now reaching for the newcomer.

The two friends hugged and Maz offered Amilyn a pair of rubber boots to swap for her heels.

“You're still coming to try to convince Rey, aren't you?” she asked as the psychologist finished putting on the left boot.

“She's here?”

“At the stables. She’s examining our new acquisition.”

Amilyn looked down, suddenly hesitant, and Maz hastened to add: “I tried to talk to her too, you know. I can clearly see that she misses her work at the clinic. She assures us that she’s perfectly happy to stay here at the farm and take care of the horses. But she’s not fooling anyone, especially not me.”

“Do you think she’s ready to listen to me today?”

“When you came three months ago, everything was still too fresh. She’s a little better now. It could work.”

Amilyn stood up, smoothing her pencil skirt and looking resolute. Maz couldn't help but chuckle at the unlikely image of her friend in a Chanel suit and rain boots. She watched as Amilyn managed by some miracle to descend the staircase of the house without tripping and immediately made her way towards the main barn.

The psychologist greeted one of the workers sweeping the entrance to the building, who told her that Rey was in the last stall on the right. She went to the back of the barn and discovered the young woman crouching in the straw feeling the knee of a splendid chestnut filly. She wore, as usual, her three little buns on the back of her head, and Amilyn leaned against the doorframe, watching her with a fond look.

Rey pressed very gently on the animal's muscles, whispering softly. "It's going to be fine, BB, gently now…” Then the young woman finally noticed that someone was watching her.

“Amilyn?” she exclaimed, turning around in surprise. She then got up, dusted her pants off, and went to join the psychologist at the entrance to the stall.

“Good morning my dear,” replied the doctor, wrapping her arms around her in a hug.

“Sorry,” Rey said, stepping aside quickly and then pointing to her work clothes. “I'm a bit dirty.”

“No worries at this point…”

Rey then looked her over from head to toe, noticing the green rubber boots, and bit her lip so as not to laugh.

“Say, I find this pair of Jimmy Choos very… trendy.”

“Alright, alright,” said Amilyn, raising her eyes to the sky. “Your grandmother already made fun of me when I arrived.”

“Oh, I don't doubt it for a second. So tell me, how are you?”

“I’m doing fine... What about you?

“As you can see, I keep myself busy with the horses,” replied Rey, closing the stall door.

She then walked past her friend to go to a small cabinet, open it, and put her gloves in.

Amilyn did not want to allow silence to settle. They had to get to the heart of the matter and quickly, but without putting the young woman on the spot. She was just about to speak when, unexpectedly, Rey added:

“Rose told me that the clinic is doing well at the moment?”

Rey tried for a detached tone, but Maz was right about her granddaughter: she missed the job.

“In fact we are completely overwhelmed,” retorted Amilyn. “Kaydel started maternity leave last week, Dopheld moved back to Canada, and suddenly, with two fewer therapists, Rose and Snap are left with double the work to do.”

Rey just nodded without saying a word. She avoided meeting Amilyn’s eyes, instead busying herself with folding and unfolding some blankets that had already been perfectly arranged on one of the shelves of the cabinet.

“And I’ve a lot of trouble finding replacements,” Amilyn hastened to add.

“I see.”

“The clinic is also going well. We have a huge number of patients, and the hospital may allow us to expand. There too we’ll have to find people to cover all the shifts.”

Rey's fingers suddenly tightened on a blue and green tartan.

“Amilyn…”

“Oh, and Ethan tried his new prosthesis yesterday. That kid is amazing. He’s made remarkable progress, but he still asks for you every day.”

“Amilyn…” sighed the young woman again.

“Rey, I need you,” the older woman finally blurted out. “Please. You have to come back. We ALL need you. You are a wonderful physical therapist. You work miracles. I don't doubt for a second that your grandmother's horses are extremely lucky to have you, but you know very well that your place is not here.”

Rey finally deigned to look up at her. Her eyes were wet and her lips were trembling imperceptibly.

“I’m just about to get my certification in equine physiotherapy. I’m preparing to take the exam right now.”

No matter how hard she tried to seem convincing, her words sounded hollow. There was no enthusiasm in her voice and Amilyn couldn't help but smile sadly.

“Rey… you always wanted to work with people, not horses.”

The young woman wiped the track of a tear that had just run down her cheek with the back of her hand.

“We are going to talk a little bit, okay?” murmured Amilyn, who had advanced towards her and was now stroking her arm to comfort her. “I have the whole evening ahead of me, I'm starting to find these boots very comfortable, and I'm dying to have your grandmother prepare her famous chili for me. Do you think I can stay for dinner?”

Rey let out an amused hiccup and nodded, sniffing. Amilyn wrapped an arm around her shoulders and the two women headed for the house together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and the comments !!!! 😍

"Hello?"

"Gina, it's me. I need to speak to Allan."

"Ah ... Uh ... Hello Mr. Solo," stammered the assistant. "I'm so sorry, but Mr. Snoke is not available at the moment."

"Well, tell him to get free, it's very important."

Ben waited a little too long for the young woman to answer him. People were chatting in the background, and he managed to pick up the words "studio" and "take" on the other end of the line before hearing a door slam. Silence then returned, broken only by the sound of Gina's slightly rapid breathing. The assistant had obviously moved somewhere private to continue the conversation, and Ben tightened his grip on his smartphone.

"Where are you?" he asked, suddenly worried. "I'm still at the Whitegrove clinic, and when I contacted the New York office, I was only told that Allan had to go to Europe."

"We are currently in London."

"In London..." repeated Ben in an icy voice.

He had been trying to reach Snoke for two days. In vain. His calls always went to voicemail or got cut off after two rings. And now he understood why.

_That dirty bastard ..._

"And you are there for..." Ben purposely left his sentence unfinished. He was dying to know what lie Gina was going to come up with. Allan must have left instructions.

He heard the young woman swallow before launching into it.

"Mr. Snoke has an appointment with Tallie Lintra. He heard that she's looking to change agents, and he hopes to convince her to sign with him. Since she's in the capital at the moment, they decided to have dinner together earlier. If you could call back later, I'm sure -"

Ben had known Tallie for quite some time. He'd met her six years ago when the cast of the new "Galactic Wars" gathered for their first table read of the screenplay. At that time, the young actress had introduced Lena Atkins, her friend and agent. The two women were very close then, just as they had been while shooting the final movie in the saga. Ben therefore doubted that things had changed since then.

"Gina, stop lying to me." He cut her off, straightening up suddenly on his bed.

The movement had been too abrupt. A sharp pain pierced his kidneys and he suppressed a curse before continuing:

"Snoke doesn't have a dinner date with Tallie."

Poor Gina was a perfect assistant, but this time she was unlucky.

"Galactic Wars" was not just a series of films. It was a social phenomenon beloved by young and old, and the final chapter, released in theaters just before Christmas, was the end of an epic saga spanning forty years. With this latest trilogy, Tallie and he had become stars all over the world, and people loved the couple that his character, Kylo Ren, formed with Kira, the heroine played by the young actress.

Unlike him, she was very active on the internet, and Ben had discovered that several members of the clinic's nursing staff followed her on social media. Just the day before, he had encountered two nurses who were ecstatic over a post by the actress, who was apparently sipping a cocktail on a Polynesian beach. One of them was reading the photo caption out loud as he was going to his PT session. "Back to L.A in a week! In the meantime, I'm enjoying the sun and the sea!"

"I don't understand, I..."

"Tallie's in Bora Bora, Gina. No more games. If you're in London it's for Allan to meet Scott Riley. And I bet Armitage Hux is there too. He's the one who's going to replace me on "Judicial Duel," isn't he?"

What was Snoke thinking? How stupid could he be? With the internet, nothing could remain confidential for very long nowadays, especially in the field of show business. And Ben didn't have much to do with his days other than read and surf the net. The young woman let out a long sigh and gave in.

"Mr. Snoke wanted to talk to you about it. He tried to delay the shooting, but the scheduling of the other actors was so tight, and he couldn't convince Mr. Riley."

"It's fine, I get it " spat Ben before hanging up and throwing his phone violently at the foot of his bed.

He was out. He wanted to scream, to punch the walls.

_Damn, I can't believe it ..._

He absolutely had to get out of this room to get some fresh air. He was suffocating in here. His back injury started acting up again, so he swallowed one of the two pills on his bedside table. Then he got up painfully, grabbed the walker near the bed, and took forever to reach the closet. He could now stand and walk several feet, but rehabilitation was not going nearly fast enough for his taste.

He slowly put on his jeans, T-shirt, and sweater, grimacing. He could have called a nurse to help him, but he didn't want to. He hated depending on people. He hated his condition. And he hated himself right now.

Behind him, he heard his phone vibrate. His lawyer's number appeared on the screen.

The accident had taken place in November, a month before the film was released. He'd been called back to shoot additional scenes because changes to the script had been decided on at the last minute. He just had to do reshoots of a few combat scenes and record several lines of dialogue. He was not necessarily in agreement with the changes made, but as a good professional, he had performed without complaining. But that day, everything had changed. As usual, he'd insisted on doing the stunt himself. He had worked for months to perfect his movements when the cables carried him through the air, mimicking the dizzying jumps his character was supposed to achieve. Except that day, one of the cables had given way.

Today, the case was still ongoing against the company that supplied the defective equipment which had caused Ben to be thrown through a glass panel and into that damn metal pylon.

He ignored Hawkins' message and finished dressing. He then sat down in his chair and had to bring himself to suffer a little more to bend over and tie his sneakers.

It was seven o'clock in the morning. It had been raining all night, and the rays of the sun timidly filtered through the gray clouds. It was cool but he didn't care. There would be no one in the park.

Perfect.

He retrieved his black pea coat from the sofa, avoided passing in front of the mirror near the door, and guided his wheelchair out of the bedroom.

OooooO

Rey parked her car in the nearly deserted parking lot in front of the clinic. Only the vehicles of the guard personnel were present. The majority of doctors usually started consultations around eight o'clock.

The young woman turned off the ignition and remained a few moments with her hands on the steering wheel. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

_Come on. You'll see everyone again and everything will be fine. Knowing them, they'll have prepared a little party for you, with streamers, confetti, and Poe's amazing vanilla cake. You just have to hang out in the park for a bit and have a look around before everyone else arrives. It's going to be a great day._

She put up the collar of her duffle coat, retrieved her umbrella and bag from the back, and went out onto the alley lined with shrubs which led to the main entrance. But instead of entering the hall, she branched off to the left and found herself in the garden on the west side. There was a small play area for children and, further on, various facilities allowed for rehab sessions to be held outside in the summer, in the shade of tall mimosa trees.

A gust of icy wind came to ruffle her hair. After finally being persuaded by Amilyn to return to her old job at the clinic, she had decided to change her appearance, too. She'd said goodbye to her updos and opted for a shorter and more modern cut.

A new look for a new start.

She freed a few windswept locks from her mouth, put her hood back on her head, and took the path that bypassed the building in which the heated pool was located to reach the large terrace.

The beginning of February had been wet and dreary so far. It hadn't even snowed this year, and Rey thought that the weather was actually going downhill. The trees in the park were still bare, but the grass, which had turned green again, was perfectly maintained by the gardeners. The brisk morning air filled her lungs and she breathed in the scent of the wet earth and the nearby forest with a smile on her face. Dr. Holdo was right. She'd missed this place.

His gaze drifted for a moment towards the tall windows of the south wing. This is where the patients' luxury rooms were located. Her heart sped up a bit and she took another deep breath.

_Everything will be alright._

It was then that the rain began to fall. Just a few drops at first, but then a torrent began to fall on the terrace. Rey quickly took refuge under the awning. At the same time she felt her cell phone vibrate in her bag. When she unlocked the screen she saw that she had received a text from Maz. Her grandmother wanted to know if she had arrived.

Rey typed out a quick "Ready to start my work day despite the bad weather!" Then she held the phone out in front of her to take a picture of herself winking while pointing to the inscription "Whitegrove Clinic" on a small sign behind her. She was about to send her selfie when a voice suddenly called out to her.

"Hey you!"

A man in a wheelchair was rolling at full speed up the small path which led to the wooded area of the clinic grounds. Rey wondered what he could possibly be doing out at such an early hour. When he got a little closer, the first thing she noticed was the thin gray tape affixed to the right side of his face. It started from the top of his eyebrow and crossed his cheekbone down to his jaw. The young woman had already had the opportunity to see several of Gwendoline Phasma's patients wear this kind of bandage, which was supposed to promote healing after cosmetic surgery. Despite this, she continued to watch him with large round eyes until he finally came to stop right in front of her.

He was soaked to the bone. His hair was dripping and his ears, a little too large, protruded slightly from his dark locks. Oddly, she found it cute. His dark eyes flashed and the young woman was suddenly absorbed by the intensity of his gaze. She had seen this guy somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where. Especially since her attention was riveted by the stranger's lips. My god ... he really had amazing lips!

"What tabloid do you work for? How did you get through security?" he began to scream suddenly. "I'm warning you! If this photo is published, I'll take you to court, you and the newspaper that hired you!"

The spell was immediately broken. Rey stared at him for a few seconds, unable to respond, and it was then that she finally recognized him. She remembered the image that had been plastered all over the streets of New York for weeks. It was Ben Solo, the actor who played in "Galactic Wars," and Rose's nightmare for the past month.

"I, uh ... sorry?" stammered Rey, a little taken aback by his sudden aggressiveness.

Ben's hand flew out abruptly in an attempt to grab her phone. Even sitting in his chair he had a rather impressive stature, but Rey was able to take a step back and dodge him.

"You have to calm down!"

"I saw you take my picture from the path."

"So as soon as someone uses their phone in front of you, you just assume that they must be taking a picture of you? This is a private clinic with patients, caregivers, and a slew of security guards patrolling the park! And the first thing that comes to mind is that I'm a paparazzo?"

"It's not the first time that journalists have managed to enter the grounds trying to get a scoop."

"Well, I work here."

"Is that so? I've been here for two months and this is the first time I've seen you!"

"I took a break for a while, and I'm just starting back today! And for your information, I just took a selfie!"

Rey displayed the picture on her phone and brandished it under his nose while lowering her hood.

What a moron! She'd thought Rose had exaggerated by telling her that this guy was a jerk, but apparently he really was.

"You see?"

Eyes riveted to the screen, Ben Solo's features relaxed a bit, his jaw working as if to hide his embarrassment. When he looked up, he remained motionless, just staring at her. Again that unfathomable look that seemed to want to devour her whole. Those full, beautiful lips had started to tremble, his hands too - but she didn't think it was from anger. It had to be the cold. The raindrops continued to slide down his dark hair and his pale cheeks to crash into the collar of his coat.

"OK. My mistake," he said brusquely, making a sudden turn in his wheelchair and moving away along the path leading to the entrance, in the pouring rain.

"What? That's it? Hey, wait for me! Oh!"

The young woman opened her umbrella before running to join him. She began walking beside him with a quick step, sheltering them both. He was deliberately speeding up, but she kept pace.

"You could at least do a better job of apologizing!"

"My apologies," he said without conviction, staring at the path in front of him.

They finally arrived at the entrance to the main building and the doors opened to let them pass. The young woman stopped dead on the threshold while Ben Solo continued to head straight for the elevators, leaving a trail of water on the polished floor.

"Hello Mr. Solo! And oh, hello Ms. Kanata!"

The cheerful voice of Charles Threepio, the receptionist, rose from behind the reception counter.

Ben just raised his hand to greet the man before pressing the call button on the wall in front of him.

When the elevator opened, he rushed inside and turned his chair to find himself once again facing the lobby.

Rey was still fuming as he reached for the control panel, never taking his eyes off her. The corner of his lips rose slightly in a small defiant smile just before the doors closed.

"Cretin ..." she muttered between clenched teeth, while a strange shiver ran down her spine.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nancy you are a queen...🥰

  


“So I raise my glass of orange juice again in honor of Rey, who gives us the great pleasure of coming back to work with us!”

Amilyn wore a radiant smile. The conference room had been decorated with multicolored balloons, and the entire medical staff were gathered around a bountiful breakfast spread. Everyone was delighted to see the young physical therapist.

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you,” Rey replied, while her nursing colleague Peter Chewbacca, a two-meter colossus, put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her.

She really loved everyone here and she was greatly touched by the applause and cheers that followed Dr. Holdo's toast.

After putting down her cup, Holdo had to raise her voice to be heard over the din:

“However, I'm sorry to have to end this little welcome party, but it’s already 8:30 and we have a lot of patients to see this morning in the PT department ! Take all the pastries you want, and have a good day everyone ! ”

"I'm so glad you're here," said Poe, kissing his friend on the cheek before going out with the rest of the staff.

Those who remained settled around the large meeting table, and the new schedules were distributed. Amilyn then took a seat at the end of the table and said:

“So, after several departures within the team, and given the fact that Rose and Charlie here volunteered to go to work at the New York clinic during the coming weeks, I had to reassign some patients and review the schedules. Everything is written on the document I just gave you, and here are the medical records as well.”

Snap Wexley passed Rey her stack of manila folders and she began to read the names on the labels:

_Harriet Harper._

_Lewis O'Hara._

_Ethan Fallon._

_Ben Solo._

_Carol Doug..._

_Huh? What ! But …_

As Amilyn continued her explanations, the young therapist looked up to cast a look of distress at Rose, sitting on the other side of the table. The latter mouthed a silent "what?” and Rey realized that her friend was not aware that she had just inherited Solo as a patient.

Dr. Holdo finally finished her little speech and wished everyone a good day again. As the room emptied, Rey, list still in hand, stood up and walked over to her.

“Uh, excuse me Amilyn, but I see that I have the name of Ben Solo written on my sheet.”

Rose was waiting for her near the door and, Rey saw her bite her lip and frown.

“Yes… Is there a problem?” replied Amilyn, concern evident in her tone.

Rey suddenly felt very stupid. Surely she wasn’t going to start making trouble about the distribution of patients on her first day, even if her meeting with Ben Solo the day before had not been the most friendly.

“No, no, everything’s fine, I ... I ran into him yesterday in the park. He seems charming,” she lied shamelessly.

Dr. Holdo's face relaxed and Rey forced herself to smile.

“You know, I'm really close to the Organa-Solo family. Leia and her brother Luke Skywalker are very, very dear friends,” explained the psychologist. “Ben's accident left us all in shock. Rose has already done a remarkable job with him and I am delighted that you’re taking over.”

“No problem,” replied Rey, resigned, retrieving her files from the table. “I'm going to go study these.”

“Good luck, my dear. And I told you. Don't hesitate to come see me if you have any problem, okay?”

The young woman nodded and went to join Rose, who was waiting in the corridor.

"Bad luck," muttered the little brunette as they both walked away from the conference room. “I didn't know you were the one who’d get stuck with him.”

“It's fine, Rose. I’ll manage.”

“I have no doubt about it. I'm sure that with you, Solo will be as gentle as a lamb!”

OoooooO

  


Rey was quite satisfied. She’d found a small studio for rent in Greenwich, and her previous day's work had gone pretty well. She had met Harriet Harper, a somewhat wacky grandmother who’d had her hip replaced by Poe, and Lewis O'Hara, a snowboard champion, who had suffered a double tibia-fibula fracture while backcountry skiing in Aspen. The young therapist had above all been reassured to find that she was quickly finding her footing once again.

This morning she’d seen little Ethan Fallon again, and she was now enjoying lasagna while seated at one of the tables in the cafeteria. Ben Solo's file was open before her and she was browsing the information about him.

\--------------

**Admission: December 5, 2019**

**Status: Vertebral fracture in D7 and D8 with compression of the spinal cord. Facial laceration without bone involvement of the right profile.**

**Interventions performed at St Thomas Hospital in London on November 20, 2020.**

**Vertebroplasty performed by Dr. Wellington,**

**Emergency restorative cosmetic surgery performed by Dr. Hames on November 20, 2020.**

**Recommendation for care: Wearing a brace for a period of two months. Physiotherapy, balneotherapy and kinesiotherapy / Weaning off the brace and muscle reconditioning.**

\------------------

She was looking at Rose's footnotes when the young woman and Poe came to sit next to her with their meal trays.

“Hey, hi guys!” Rey exclaimed, closing and pushing the files to the side.

“So how’s your first day back on the job going ? Everything okay?”

“Couldn't be better. What about you, Poe? Not too sad that Kaydel is gone?”

“Are you kidding me? I was constantly telling her to take it easy! And now she’s going around in circles at home, desperately looking for something to have me fix, or a wall that needs repainting in the babies’ room.”

“Can you believe that you’ll be a father of twins in a few weeks?” said Rose, attacking the contents of her plate.

"As if I’m not freaking out enough, Rose, thank you for reminding me," said Poe, running his hand through his hair. “I can’t think about it without laughing, girls, I swear. I’m so stressed out. I feel like I'm going to be a disaster as a father.”

“Are you kidding me? I have never seen anyone so comfortable with children. You’ll be wonderful! Besides, look, Ethan adores you. You did a great job with his prosthesis. You’re his hero.”

“Ethan is my ‘Galactic Wars’ buddy. He’s amazing. But I think it’s you who he fell in love with, Rey. Last week, I had the misfortune of telling him that you were coming back, and then he hounded me every single day about when you’d get here! I think that kid is downright ready to marry you!” the orthopedic surgeon said with a smile.

Rey's face suddenly closed off. She looked down, and Poe realized a little too late that he had just blundered. The young therapist began to push her food around on her plate, and Rose took the opportunity to cast a glare at Poe while mimicking a furious gesture of decapitation. But Poe frowned and decided that he would continue to stick his foot in it.

“Have you heard anything from Finn?”

Rose rolled her eyes while Rey finally planted her fork in her lasagna, bringing it to her mouth.

“No news, which is for the best,” she replied, swallowing her mouthful.

“Jesus, what an asshole!” cursed Poe.

“Dameron…” Rose chided angrily.

“What? It’s true! Sorry Rey, but to leave you in the lurch like that when you needed him was really disgraceful.”

Rey had no desire to go back over what had happened. She appreciated that Poe cared, but today she just needed to focus on her job. Period.

Rose seemed to read her thoughts and steered the topic of conversation to Ben Solo.

“So, you’re seeing ‘Mr. Grumpy’ this afternoon?” she asked, pointing to the folder at the top of the pile in front of her friend.

"Yep," said Rey, pursing her lips.

The young woman then told them about her meeting with the actor in the park the day before.

“No, seriously?! What a jerk!” Rose was really getting worked up now. “That guy goes out of his way to be unfriendly! I tried to get him to relax all last week, but nothing worked! I’m convinced that the only solution is to remove the stick he’s got stuck up his ass! That, or leave him for an hour in the cryotherapy chamber and let him freeze his balls off.”

“Honestly, I think you’re exaggerating, Rose, I had the opportunity to chat a little with him. He’s not so bad,” said Poe.

“You’re just saying that because you’re a fan of his character in ‘Galactic Wars" and because he agreed to sign your collector’s edition action figure.”

“And it was very nice of him, too!” Dameron exclaimed. “Especially after what happened to him.”

Rose rolled her eyes, sighing loudly.

“Listen, Poe, I have no doubt that it must be very difficult to go from being a rising movie star, walking the red carpet, to being Rose Tico’s patient and trudging every day on a boring treadmill. But regaining mobility will take time. He will have to get used to this idea. Then he can start making movies again and be the darling of all Hollywood.”

“You’re forgetting the scar on his face. Difficult to land the pretty boy roles in blockbusters with a scar like that,” Poe pointed out.

“Gwen is the best, she'll fix it,” Rey said.

“OK girls, it's fine, you don't like him. But putting his bad temper aside for two seconds, you still have to admit that he’s quite a good actor. He is excellent in the new trilogy. As an early fan of ‘Galactic Wars,’ I was skeptical at first when I found out he was going to be one of the main characters, but this guy really has something special, a presence, a charisma… He’s gifted.”

“Does Kaydel know that you’re batting for the other team now, Poe?” said Rose, laughing.

“Ha ha, very funny, Tico.”

“You know, you’re right! I really appreciated it yesterday when he yelled at me. He was perfect in his role as a charismatic ‘big bad,’” mocked Rey.

“He really nails the role of Kylo Ren!”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Poe, but I'm not really a fan of this kind of film. I’ve never watched the ‘Galactic Wars’ movies.”

The orthopedic surgeon suddenly stared at Rey with wide eyes.

“You're kidding! You haven’t seen any of them?” he exclaimed in a mock-tragic tone.

“None,” she confirmed.

“What about you?” he asked, panicked, turning to Rose.

“I saw the last one, but frankly I didn’t find it all that great. However, Solo isn’t bad in it, it's true…”

“Well….” grumbled Poe. “Unlike you, I know someone who seems to really appreciate the talent and the company of Senator Organa's son.”

“Are you talking about Amilyn?” asked Rose with a laugh.

“Amilyn is a great friend of Leia Organa, certainly, and I bet that she’s known Solo since he was still in short pants, but no. I'm talking about Bazine Netal…”

“Solo’s dating Bazine Netal?” Rose wondered.

“She accompanied him when he arrived at the clinic in December, and she’s visited him several times since.”

Rey, who was listening to her friends in silence, grabbed her glass and took a sip of water.

_Bazine Netal. The bombshell, top model for Victoria's Secret and recently the new face of Dior, no less..._

“Well, in any case, our dear Ben Solo will surely continue to sulk for a while,” announced Rose. “Earlier, in the hall, he was on the phone with a certain Snoke. Far be it from me to spy, but I could hear that he had just lost his role in the next film by Scott Riley, and you’ll never guess who will take his place ! The most fabulous actor on the planet ! My absolute fantasy ! The one, the only… Armitage Hux !”

“Armitage Hux? Red-headed, skinny guy, kind of pasty?” Poe said with gleeful vengeance.

“He does NOT look pasty!“ Rose was indignant.

“So is that the type of guy you go for, Tico?”

Rey couldn't help laughing. She had almost forgotten how much fun Rose and Poe’s bickering was. But it was already almost two o'clock and the young woman got up, grabbing her tray and putting her files under her arm.

“Sorry, I have to go. I have a hydrotherapy session with Ben Solo right now.”

Poe wished her good luck, and Rose hastened to add as she walked away:

“Make sure you don’t drown him if he causes too much trouble!”

Rey gave her a thumbs up before leaving the cafeteria.

OooooooO

  


_No no no no…_

She had just rummaged in her bag and all she’d managed to find was her very cute but very sexy red bikini. When her grandmother had offered to help her pack her bag three days earlier and Rey had asked her to retrieve one of her swimsuits from the dresser, she should have made it clear that she wanted the one-piece sports model.

_Shit ... 2:05 p.m. Ben Solo was waiting for her._

Never mind. She had no choice. She put on the bottoms and adjusted the top before putting shorts and a T-shirt on over them. She grabbed a towel and put on her flip-flops before leaving the locker room.

She arrived at the swimming pool at 2:08 p.m., slightly out of breath.

Ben, wearing a white robe, was sitting in his wheelchair with his back to her. She was not surprised when, without even looking at her, he let out an annoyed "you're late.”

“Good afternoon, I'm really sorry! We can start right away.”

Not recognizing the voice of Rose Tico, Ben Solo finally deigned to give his attention to the young woman who was now standing in front of him, hands extended to help him get up.

It was her. The girl from the park. So she hadn't lied when she said she worked here.

“Well, well …” he murmured, a little surprised.

“Yes, my name is Rey Kanata. I’m replacing Rose and I will be your new therapist until the end of your stay here.”

“Was I so unbearable that poor Miss Tico decided to flee?”

Rey hesitated a moment to answer him but then changed her mind.

“We’re going to go into the water, okay?” she said, repeating her gesture.

Ben Solo looked at the palms turned towards him, and then put his on the armrests of his chair.

“I’m fine, thank you,” he breathed, pushing to stand up.

He had to grit his teeth and do his best not to wince, but he was now standing upright, hanging on to the security gate just in front of him.

_So pig-headed…_

He moved toward the small platform near the edge of the pool that allowed patients to descend into the water. Before getting on it, he took off his robe and hung it on the railing. The young woman's eyes immediately fell to the thin vertical surgical scar, about ten centimeters long, that ran along his spine. Then she noticed the profile of the actor in its entirety and realized just how massive he was. Her shoulders, chest and thighs were wide, and his ears were still cute as well, sticking out from between black locks.

This guy has something special, a presence, a charisma… Poe had said.

OK, one thing was certain: Ben Solo’s physique did not leave her indifferent, and the navy blue swimming trunks that sat slightly low on his hips were really, really very form-fitting…

“It’s already 2:12 p.m. Anytime you want to tell me what to do...”

His deep, sharp voice startled her, so Rey looked away suddenly to stare at the clock above the entrance.

_What the hell was wrong with her? Was she drooling over Solo like a fangirl now?_

She took a deep breath, got rid of her T-shirt and her shorts, then went to join the actor on the platform. He stared at her with large round eyes.

“So we’ll start warming up by walking slowly for one length of the pool, then we’ll continue with…”

“Oh, are you coming in the water with me?” he cut her off bluntly.

Rey raised her chin to him.

“Yes, of course,” she replied, swallowing.

Because of the narrowness of the platform, she now had her nose at his neck. She could feel the heat emanating from his body, and the smell of chlorine that reigned all around them could not completely mask the scent of his skin.

_A rather pleasant fragrance… Bergamot, vetiver…_

“I prefer to do the exercises alone. Miss Tico never came into the water with me.”

“Well, I'm going into this pool with you to watch how you move, and maybe make some adjustments,” she added.

She punctuated her sentence by activating the remote control of the platform, and the two went down slowly into the water.

“Fine,” he sighed, staring at a fixed point straight in front of him.

“Perfect,” she blurted out in turn, giving him her most dazzling smile.

But just when she thought she was finally done with him, he added:

“Nice work outfit.”

In a split second, Rey became as crimson as her bikini, but she didn’t lose her cool.

“Yes, since you looked so upset yesterday morning in the park, I told myself that you’d feel better knowing that I wasn’t hiding a camera in my one piece suit.”

“Indeed, impossible to hide anything in this one.”

The platform touched the bottom of the pool and Ben Solo stepped off.

_Okay, so he wanted to play like that …_

"By the way, you still haven't apologized for accusing me falsely yesterday," she retorted, following behind him.

“I think I did.”

“Apologized properly, I mean.”

Ben Solo walked a few steps away in the water.

“My most abject apologies for the mistake, Miss Kanata,” he said without even bothering to turn around. He clearly didn't give a damn about her.

_This guy was maddening._

“I hope Rose Tico got a better apology than that after you threw a computer at her head.”

Solo turned and came back to loom over her from his full six-foot-three height. His coffee-colored eyes engulfed her, and Rey suddenly felt very small.

_Small, wet, and wearing a bikini._

“For your information, I did not ‘throw my computer at her head,’ and I have already made amends with Miss Tico. I was having a really bad day and I crossed a line, yes. I also admit that I've been behaving like a real jerk lately. So I deserve all the insults that you and your colleague can throw at me. Is that okay? Can we finally start, or do I still have to self-flagellate with barbed wire?”

This time the young woman, her mouth ajar, did not know what to answer.

“No, that’s fine,” she managed to articulate at last, pointing with her hand to the edge of the pool.

They both started warming up, Rey demonstrating the movements and Ben doing them without further protest. The next half hour passed without Ben Solo saying a single word. Rey gave instructions and corrected his posture while following him along the pool. She could see that the actor's gaze sometimes lingered on her body, still as intense and indecipherable as ever. She acted as if she hadn’t noticed anything, and squatted down a little more so that the water covered her chest.

_Damn bikini._

On the last set, Rey noticed that he was finding it harder to move his right leg and that he was starting to tire.

“That’s great, Mr. Solo, we’ll continue like this for another length and then take a short break.”

“Ben.”

“Sorry?” she asked, realizing that he had finally spoken to her again.

“Call me Ben, please. I prefer that.”

_Oh my god, did she just get a "please"?_

“Very well, Ben. And I’m just Rey.”

Solo nodded and he continued to walk. His features tightened more and more the closer he got to the platform.

“I think we're going to stop here, okay?” announced the young woman. “What you did was very good.”

“No, it's fine, I can finish,” retorted Ben, turning around to start again.

In a breaststroke, Rey was at his side. He startled when she put her hands on him, one hand raising his thigh to ninety degrees and the other slipping down his lower back. The pressure she exerted on the bone in his pelvis wrenched a groan of pain from the young man.

“That’s what I thought. We’re stopping here. I know that everything seems easier in the water, but it’s just as much effort as in the gym.”

Solo gave her a defiant look as she helped him place his foot back down gently.

“I’m telling you, I can keep going!

“And I’m telling you that we’re done! You’re obviously in pain, I can see it, and we’ve done enough work for today. You can get out of the water, take a nice shower, and go to rest in your room.”

“I can do more …”

He had lowered his head, but Rey could now feel frustration and anger in his voice.

“It’s no use forcing too much in a session, Ben. It won’t speed up the healing process. Next time, we could alternate the classic exercises with relaxation exercises. You know, they can help you relieve stress...”

“No, that’s all nonsense! I already told Rose this and I’ll tell you, too. I don't want to waste my time meditating and ‘listening to my body’ or whatever. I need to be able to walk normally as quickly as possible !  
Here we go again

“Listen, I think I'm more qualified than you to …”

“It’s taking too long,” he cut her off again. “I had surgery three months ago, and it's been a month since I removed that damn brace. But still, I can barely walk properly and I feel like I'm not making any progress! I can't afford to put my career on standby any longer. I'm losing too many opportunities.”

“Your spinal cord was compressed by the hematoma due to the fracture. The shock you suffered was not trivial. So it's normal that …”

Solo swatted his hand on the surface of the water.

“Come on, are you also going to tell me every day how lucky I am that I wasn’t paralyzed? Because I think I’ve heard enough of that already!”

Rey saw him surrender and get back on the platform. Things had gone wrong in a matter of seconds, and now she was just as upset as he was. He activated the platform, climbed out of the pool by himself, and put on his robe before going to his wheelchair.

Rey had watched him do so, without moving, until she decided to react. It was out of the question for Ben Solo to get away with this. She pulled herself out of the water before going to block his path.

“Well it’s true, so I’m going to tell you again! You're such a lucky guy, Ben!” she fumed, a finger pointed at him. “I know that it’s been very difficult for you, and you have the right to be upset and worried but there are indeed patients here who’ve been much less fortunate than you, and who are also much less difficult and condescending! Do you think we’re incompetent? That your healing is not fast enough? FINE! Go to a different clinic!”

Ben Solo's amber eyes returned to meet hers, and this time they slid slowly and conspicuously down her body. Rey's first reflex was to cross her arms in front of her chest but she held back. There was no way she’d play the frightened young girl in front of him. Her accusing index finger still pointed at him, her other hand wedged in a fist on her hip.

“It’s your call,” she added bluntly.

He took a step forward, and the young woman's finger came into contact with his splendid pectorals. Then he surprised her by bringing his face close to hers. Rey froze as his warm breath caressed her lips.

"Excellent idea, Miss Kanata," he said.

Their mouths were now only a few inches apart, and a curious thought crossed Rey’s mind: she wondered if his female co-stars felt as worked up as she did right now, when he was about to kiss them on set.

Suddenly, the sound of a throat clearing could be heard from the entrance to the pool. It was Larma d'Acy coming to pick Ben up because it was almost 3 p.m.

“Is everything okay?” asked the caregiver.

Rey abruptly pulled away from Solo, and he was finally able to return to his wheelchair.

“Yes, we're done. You can take me back to my room,” he announced, wheeling straight towards Larma without looking back.

The two then disappeared down the hall.

Rey ran her hands over her face before sitting on the edge and sliding back into the water again.

What the hell was she thinking? She had just screamed at Ben Solo, her famous patient, and told him to leave the clinic. And that was apparently what he intended to do. What was Amilyn going to say when she learned that Rey had already managed to alienate her best friend's son, and maybe even scare him away?

The young woman then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and disappeared beneath the surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think about this first session? Love is in the air, huh? 😂😍


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****  
>  _Hello everyone, and thank you to those who continue to read. And I beg you, if you like my story, drop me a line to tell me! it's so motivating! And of course, thank you Nancy for the translation_   
>  **_A warning this time: there is a mention of attempted suicide in this chapter._**

***************************************** 

Fourth floor, south wing.

The elevator doors opened and suddenly her chest felt like it was being crushed in a vise. Despite her best efforts, she could hardly get any air into her lungs.

Her vision was blurry and the ground seemed to sway. She could barely make out the numbers written in silver letters next to the rooms on either side of the corridor. Rey suddenly felt the bile rising in her throat. Her heartbeat pulsed loudly against her temples, and all the noises around her were muffled. In fact, on second thought, she couldn't hear any sound at all.

And the hallway just kept moving...

Gravity was working against her, making her legs feel like they weighed a ton, yet she knew she had to get to the room at the end of the hallway.

Room 11.

She gulped painfully and left the elevator. It was strange. The more she walked, the more the end of the corridor seemed to move away, impossible to reach. So she tried to make slow progress, one step after another, leaning against the wall. Finally, by God knows what miracle, she got to the right door.

The vise tightened again, along with her throat. Her fingers gripped the handle.

It was locked. She pushed with all her strength but it was a waste of time. Yet she knew she had to enter. She had to act fast. She tried again. Her shoulder banged against the wood several times and she started screaming, calling for help, as loud as she could. But she had no voice, and when she looked back, she saw no one. She was alone. Alone and helpless in front of the closed door of room 11.

So she started crying and banging her fist against the door.

Kicking it over and over.

_Lindsay! Lindsay!_

Rey woke up with a start, completely disoriented.

It took a moment to realize that she was sitting on her bed in her little apartment in Greenwich, trembling and drenched in sweat in the middle of her messy sheets. Her hand moved instinctively to her chest and she forced herself to breathe calmly.

_It's over. Come on …_

Another minute passed before she decided to get up, still a little unsettled, and head for the bathroom. She turned on the water, drank from the tap, and splashed her face several times. Then she stood there for a moment, leaning over the sink to put her thoughts back in order.

She thought she was done with the nightmares. It had been almost two months since they'd come to disturb her sleep, but Rey suspected that her return to the clinic would inevitably bring bad memories to the surface. But it was time to move on. Her life couldn't stay frozen in that incident indefinitely.

_Breathe. She's fine. Lindsay is fine…_

The young woman observed her reflection one last time in the mirror hanging on the wall, wiped her face with a towel, and returned to the bedroom. The alarm clock on the nightstand displayed 6:30. She knew very well that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, so she drew the curtains. The first rays of the sun were beginning to set the horizon ablaze. A beautiful day was dawning.

She rummaged through her closet, putting on a sports outfit and her running shoes. She tied her hair back, grabbed her keys, and slammed the door of her apartment behind her. Outside, the cool morning breeze made her shiver. She took a deep breath, slid her thumb across the screen of her phone, and ran out into the street, the guitar riff of "Thunderstruck" echoing loudly through her headphones.

OoooooO

Amilyn put a big steaming mug of coffee down in front of Ben.

"Sugar?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

The psychologist settled comfortably in the chair opposite him, crossing her legs. She was wearing a beige pantsuit and had her hair styled in a loose bun at the back of her neck. Amilyn had always been a very elegant woman. She and Leia had known each other for many years, and Ben remembered only too well the weekends spent at "Aunt Amilyn's" house while his mother went to political meetings and his father traipsed about the tundra or the Amazon jungle.

"So, how did it go with Rey?" she asked before taking a sip of her cappuccino.

"Did she come to see you?" Ben shot back immediately.

"No, why would she come to me?"

"Because I may have hinted that I was going to leave."

"And are you? Do you want to leave us?" Amilyn said, leaning against the backrest of her seat.

"You know very well that I like to 'tease' people."

"I know, yes…"

Ben grabbed his cup and took a sip. The psychologist's icy blue gaze was still fixed unblinkingly on him.

"You have to be patient. I know it's hard. I know that you feel helpless, frustrated, angry, afraid for your future in the movie industry, and that you hate feeling dependent."

Of course he was scared. Afraid he couldn't do what he loved most in the world, which was acting. That was his reason for living.

After his accident, his "friends" and colleagues had all shown him concern and sent him messages of support: the director, G.G. Adams, the producers, the entire cast... He had been honored during the movie's press tour, which he was unable to participate in, and fans had raised money for charities that were close to his heart. He had thanked everyone, masking his distress as best he could.

The movie business was magical, but it was also ruthless. He still found it hard to believe that he had, in just a few short years, become the darling of filmmakers. He'd alternated between arthouse films and big-budget blockbusters, giving his best in each. The critics were ecstatic, even though he found it hard to believe that anyone could enjoy his performances. He was never satisfied with his performance, convinced that he could always do better, that he always had to do better. Maybe if he had done better in the past, his mother and father would have stayed home. Maybe if he'd been a better son, he wouldn't have had to spend all those weekends away from them.

"You also know that you have to get all this out, you have to talk about it," Amilyn added, sympathetic as always.

"We already talk about it twice a week. The next session is scheduled for Monday, right?"

He knew very well that the playful tone he had deliberately adopted did not work with Amilyn. She knew him inside and out.

"That's true, but I can listen to you as a friend, too. We don't need to make an appointment for that."

"I'm not leaving the clinic, Amilyn. I was just tired yesterday, and I didn't appreciate your little protégée lecturing me. I don't need this right now…"

"And?"

She was waiting. She knew there was something else.

"And before the session, I was on the phone with my agent."

Ben was now pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingertips, eyes closed.

"Allan Snoke?"

He sighed and nodded.

"I'd been trying to reach him all week, and yesterday I finally got through to him. I confronted him, and he lied again and tried to put me off. I found out that he arranged to cast other actors in the roles I'd been offered without even trying to defend my interests or negotiate with producers. He didn't even deny it. He blames me for making the decision to do my own stunts back in December. He practically threw it in my face that it's all my fault that I'm in this state. I might not be 'profitable' anymore, so he's no longer interested in me. He didn't actually say that to me, but I know it's what he thinks. So things got heated, and I fired him."

A slight smile appeared on the psychologist's lips.

"Your mother will break out the champagne. She's hated that guy for 40 years. She's always blamed him for your grandfather's downward spiral."

Ben let out a nervous chuckle.

"You mean she's going to organize a parade on 5th Avenue, with a marching band, balloons, tanks and fireworks ! Anyway, I'm starting to think my dad wasn't wrong when he told me that Snoke was only interested in me being Anakin Skywalker's grandson."

Amilyn could see that Ben was troubled. Discussions about his famous family were always painful for him.

"When are you going to tell her? Your mother, I mean."

"Tomorrow, I suppose. She invited me to have lunch with her."

"I'm glad to see she's still trying to work things out with you. Leia loves you very much and she's been extremely worried about you."

"I know, Amilyn... " Ben looked up at her. "It's just a shame that we couldn't talk without fighting until after Han died."

"You both have very strong characters."

"When she finds out about Snoke, I just hope she doesn't bring up my quarrel with Luke again."

"Is your uncle still in India?"

"Yeah, he's on a spiritual retreat at some kind of 'center.' He's going to be there for another month, I think."

"He's calling every week to see how you're doing, did you know that?" Amilyn informed him.

Ben started laughing again.

"He's really calling? From his remote outpost in the depths of Rajasthan?"

"Luke has always been a resourceful man."

Amilyn's eyes glowed when she said those words and Ben wondered if she actually had a bit of a crush on his eccentric uncle.

"I hope one day you'll make peace with him, too," she added.

This time Ben didn't answer, just set his empty mug down on the coffee table. Amilyn didn't insist.

"So, getting back to Rey Kanata, would it be possible for you not to 'tease' her too much in the future? She just came back to work for me, she's extremely competent, and I am very fond of her."

"So she worked here before. Why did she leave?"

A shadow passed over Amilyn's face and her smile evaporated. Ben saw her think for a moment about whether or not she was going to answer him.

"There was… an incident here at the clinic last year," she began.

The psychologist paused briefly before putting her empty cup in front of her too.

"One of our patients, who was here in physiotherapy rehab, the daughter of a New York business tycoon, attempted suicide in her room. Despite all the precautions we took, the case got out. The story made the front page of the tabloids for several weeks because a relative of the family told reporters everything. Knowing your aversion to tabloids, I'm guessing you didn't hear about all this?"

Ben shook his head in response, but Amilyn could see that he was waiting for the rest.

"We were all in shock," she sighed sadly, "but especially Rey. Lindsay was her patient, and she was the one who found her in time, unconscious in her room, and saved her life by calling for help."

Ben was now staring at the psychologist with a guarded expression.

"I don't understand, did she have any problems because of that?"

"No, no, no, of course not... But she couldn't help but feel guilty because she and Lindsay had become good friends. Rey said she should've understood, should've seen that the girl wasn't okay. So she needed a break, needed to get away from the clinic for a while. We missed her a lot. But two weeks ago, I finally convinced her to come back, and I'm telling you that this girl is a gem. So do you think you could make peace with her?"

Ben's gaze now seemed lost elsewhere. Amilyn saw him make that little jaw movement that she knew meant he was upset or in the middle of thinking. Then he focused on her again and answered:

"I think I can do that, yeah."

OoooooO

Rey got out of her car and walked briskly towards the main building. She had made up her mind to try to work things out with Ben Solo, assuming he hadn't already left... They normally had a session together at 10:00 a.m., and Rey hoped to meet with him a little earlier to discuss and try to reconcile. She readjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and turned to the right to enter the paved walkway. Her stomach began to growl. Her morning jog had taken longer than expected, and by the time she'd showered and finished getting ready for work, there hadn't been enough time to eat breakfast before leaving for the clinic. She figured she could stop by the cafeteria for tea and a muffin later.

When she finally arrived at the entrance, she saw a large black minivan parked in front of the door. A man was waiting by the vehicle and when Rey walked by, he asked:

"Good morning, Miss. Excuse me, but do you know if I can leave the car parked here, or should I wait for Mr. Solo in the parking lot?

Rey's face fell.

"Are you waiting for Ben Solo?"

"Uh, yeah, I just told you."

"Is he leaving the clinic?"

_No, no, no... he was really going to do it, then…_

"Well, I just know I have to drive him to New York this morning. I wasn't supposed to get here till ten o'clock, but I had an earlier run in Greenwich, so I'm a little early."

The young therapist looked at her watch. It was 9:15. She did not respond to the driver who called out to her again as she rushed into the lobby, rushed past the reception desk, and barely made it into the elevator just as it was closing.

"Miss Kanata, wait!" Behind his counter, Charles Threepio, in the middle of a discussion with a couple of septuagenarians, also tried to stop her, but it was a lost cause.

In the elevator, she offered a ready smile to Larma d'Acy, who stared at her with an amused look.

"Hello, Larma."

"Hi, Rey. What floor?"

"Third, please."

When the elevator doors opened, Rey jumped out and walked determinedly down the walkway connecting the main building to the south wing.

Ben Solo's file noted that he was in room number nine. Rey came out into the third floor hallway, with its rows of gray doors and beige walls... The images of her nightmare came back to her, and she hesitated for a moment. Her footsteps slowed, but she continued regardless.

When she finally stood in front of Ben Solo's suite, her belly made another funny noise and she suddenly felt a bit lightheaded.

She really should have eaten something before she left.

Then she raised her arm and knocked. She had thought long and hard about what she was going to say to him on the way to the clinic, but she had to admit that low blood sugar and the fact of actually being here put a sudden damper on her resolve.

She heard a rolling sound along the floor, and a few seconds later the door opened.

Ben Solo was standing in front of her, leaning on a small walker, wearing jeans and a white Henley with his sleeves rolled up on his forearms. His lips were still as pink as ever, his shoulders as broad, so she tried hard to look him straight in the eye without flinching. He looked surprised to find her there, and the young woman didn't give him time to ask any questions.

"Hello, Ben. Uh...so here's the thing: we really got off on the wrong foot, and I was thinking that maybe we could start over from the beginning and try to make things better, if that's okay with you, of course. You don't have to leave the clinic, really. I was a little out of line when I yelled at you yesterday and…"

"Stop," he cut her off.

She had been speaking without taking a breath until Ben finally raised his hand in front of her nose to stop it.

"Hello to you too, and no, I'm not leaving the clinic permanently," he announced in a strangely calm and almost amused tone.

Rey stared at him uncomprehendingly, and Ben realized that she must not have gotten his message.

"I asked the front desk to notify you last night, but that obviously didn't happen. I just need to go away for the weekend. My lawyer arranged a mediation for me this afternoon in New York with the suppliers of the defective equipment that was responsible for my accident. I can't miss this meeting. And I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity to go back to my apartment for a bit, since I also have to meet my mother for lunch tomorrow. But I'll be back here Monday morning."

"Oh…" was all Rey could manage to answer as she suddenly had to put her hand on the doorframe to stop herself from falling over.

Her legs seemed unable to bear her weight any longer.

"Hey, are you okay? You look really pale."

She looked up at Ben, who was now watching her with a worried expression.

He then opened the door wide, put his walker aside, and grabbed her hand.

"Yes I…" stammered Rey, feeling even weaker, "skipped breakfast and didn't eat much last night. It's okay, it'll pass."

"Come in and sit down for a while."

"No, it's okay, really. I won't bother you any longer, especially since you have to leave."

Ben squeezed her fingers.

"Look, I'm not really in any condition to catch you if you take a nosedive in the middle of the hallway. So you go in and sit at the table over there, and I want you to eat one of those delicious buns they brought me this morning, and I'll serve you some orange juice. Okay?"

Rey nodded and complied. She entered the room and fell heavily into the chair that Ben had designated for her, taking another look at the actor who had slowly made his way to the kitchen to get a glass and the pitcher of juice from the fridge. He told her once again to help herself from the little basket on the table, and when she bit into the bun she felt revived. She scarfed down the pastry without restraint and immediately grabbed another one. Her mouth still full, she thanked Ben when he placed the cup of juice in front of her before taking a seat in the next chair. He watched her empty the glass and sigh with pleasure, and the corner of his lips rose slightly. Rey couldn't help but notice.

"You should do that more often," she said, setting her glass down on the table.

"Do what? Feed people?" he said, amused.

"No, smile."

Ben seemed a little taken aback. Rey had blurted that out completely without thinking. They stared at each other silently for a moment, and the young woman felt once again like his dark, intense eyes were trying to pierce her soul. Rey was the first to look down. She was sure her face was no longer pale, because she could feel her cheeks heat a little. Thank God for carbohydrates, she tried to convince herself.

Great. Now she had to find something else to say, or else she had to get up and leave. But most of all, she wanted to make sure everything was settled with Ben Solo.

"So we're going to continue working together?" she asked.

"I think I will indeed benefit from your expertise for a while yet."

The tone of his voice was mocking, but Rey was not offended this time. She felt it was just his way of grasping the olive branch she was holding out to him.

"Thanks for the pastries."

Solo nodded back. The hatchet seemed to be buried at last.

It was almost ten o'clock and the little snack she'd just eaten had reinvigorated her. She dared to offer to help him put on his coat, and Ben accepted. She also accompanied him to the hall, carrying his small travel bag while he praised the new walker that had been provided for him.

"I look like a little old man with this, but it's still a hundred times better than the chair," he joked.

"Soon you won't even need it anymore," Rey replied.

Once he was seated in the car, he put on a baseball cap and sunglasses, and he even waved to her through the tinted window. For some reason, the young woman's heart started beating a little faster. It was ridiculous.

She watched the minivan pull away from the end of the cypress-lined driveway before she felt Poe Dameron's arm resting on her shoulders.

"Okay, so tell me... is it really true that you've never seen any 'Galactic Wars'?"

"Nope," sighed the young woman, turning her head towards him.

"My poor Rey, we must absolutely correct this outrageous state of affairs! The weather forecast is calling for rain all day tomorrow, which also happens to be your day off, so here's what I suggest: tomorrow morning, you come over and we'll watch all the three first episodes."

"Poe…"

"All right, all right, just the sequel trilogy. Come on, say yes... Come onnnnnnnn. I'll make my awesome vanilla cake for you and Kaydel and the twins."

Poe looked at her with those puppy-dog eyes that must have been impossible to resist when he was young, and that he surely still used to good effect on his wife even today.

"Okay, you win…" Rey gave in.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "You'll see, you'll love it!"

"I'm sure I will," Rey smiled as her friend led her back down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The game in the next chapter will be: try to find the other real names/titles of the directors and movies based on Adam Driver's real life.  
> 😋


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _My dear Nancy... What a wonderful job, once again._  
>  And thank you so much for your support, your kudos, your comments, dear readers.

*****************************************************************

Lying on her sofa, warm under a blanket, Rey watched the end credits of Episode IX appear on her television, clenching rolled-up tissues in her fists.

“No way, it can’t end like this…”

Her eyes were red and she was upset, frustrated, and angry.

The day before, under an overcast sky, she had arrived at the Damerons’ at nine a.m. with a good bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers for Kaydel. After chatting over coffee, the trio had settled comfortably into the living room to begin their “Galactic Wars” marathon. They had watched the first movie of the sequel trilogy, discussed the film while eating a delicious lunch prepared by Poe, then immediately went on to the next movie, which was - a revelation.

Action, emotion, lightsaber fights, and space battles ... Episode VIII was a marvel. Not to mention the sublime and heartbreaking relationship between Kylo Ren, the character played by Ben Solo, and Kira, the young heroine.

Like many people, Rey had, of course, heard of the most famous movie saga of all time, and she had a vague sense of the plot of the previous two trilogies, but she’d always thought that this kind of thing was reserved for children and fanboys like Poe, great big eternal teenagers.

Back home that evening in her small apartment, she’d gone to bed with epic scenes playing out in her head. And on this Sunday morning, right after she got out of bed, she’d loaded the brand new Blu-ray that Poe had loaned her into her player, ready to finally find out what would happen to the Resistance, Kylo, and Kira. She’d made herself a nice cup of tea, settled back in her cushions, and witnessed the rebels' victory against the New Order, the redemption of Kylo Ren and his sacrifice to save the life of the one he loved.

Rey finally threw her tissues on the table, grumbling.

“What is with this new trend of killing off all the likeable and interesting characters?!”

So she had lunch, tried to soothe her disappointment with a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with caramel sauce, and decided to tidy up and clean her apartment a bit. But as she finished dusting, she realized that something was troubling her much more than Kylo Ren’s tragic fate.

And that something was Ben Solo.

She remembered having seen him in small, insignificant roles, but she had to admit that here, in a starring role, the actor had appeared to her in a completely different light: his acting was incredible. The way he had completely embodied his character was amazing, and the young woman's curiosity was definitely piqued.

So she went back to her couch with a fresh cup of steaming hot tea and opened her laptop. She typed Ben Solo's name in her Google search window and a whole Wikipedia article about him appeared on her screen:

**_Benjamin Organa Solo, American actor, born November 19, 1988 in New York City._ **

**_Son of Leia Organa-Solo, politician and senator from New York State, and of Han Solo, photographer at National Geographic, who died in 2015. Also grandson of actor Anakin Skywalker, very famous in the 1970s, who died at the of a drug overdose, aged 35._ **

**_Ben Solo attended New York Law School after high school, but decided to abandon his law studies to study acting at The Juilliard School in 2007. He graduated in 2011 and then went on to audition for parts. He appeared in episodes of the police series “The Unusuals,” “New York: Law & Order,” and “New York: Special Victims Unit,” as well as making his big screen debut in the biopic “Hoover,” directed by Flint Westwood. He became known to the general public in 2012 after joining the cast of the TV series "Hannah's Friends," in which he played the role of Adam Baker. After separating from his agent and uncle, Luke Skywalker, he began to be given more important movie roles…_ **

Rey continued to read his filmography and then lingered on the “Personal Life” section. As Poe had told her in the cafeteria, the page said that the actor had been in a relationship with Victoria's Secret supermodel Bazine Netal since October 2019.

She then watched interviews and promo videos on Youtube, as well as photo galleries showing Ben Solo, at the height of his power and virility, climbing the steps of the Cannes Festival or arriving at movie premieres on the arms of various beautiful women. In the majority of them, he was obviously accompanied by Bazine.

_Pffff… That girl was really stunning…_

All this of course dated from before the accident. The most recent articles were only illustrated by blurred images, taken with a telephoto lens, of a Ben Solo in dark glasses, his face half hidden behind his hand, being helped into a car as he was leaving the hospital.

When she finally closed her computer, it was already four p.m.

_Holy crap…_

She had just spent nearly two hours on the net and had images of Ben Solo stuck in her head.

_Ben Solo… With his body like a Greek god, his captivating voice, his hypnotic gaze, and his bad temper._

The young physical therapist was staring at an imaginary point on the opposite wall when her phone vibrated next to her on the couch. It was Rose.

“Hey you, so how is it being back in the city?” she asked cheerfully as she got up to bring her empty mug back to the kitchen.

“Hi, Rey. Oh my god, don't even mention it. It's a disaster here,” Rose replied in an annoyed tone.

“How is it a disaster? At the clinic, you mean?”

“No, everything’s fine at the clinic, although we could still use some extra hands. No, I'm talking about the apartment I rented! There's a cockroach infestation and leaks everywhere!”

“Ugh, what are you gonna do then?”

“I have to move back into Paige's tiny place in Soho.”

Rey started laughing on the phone.

“There are worse neighborhoods, Rose.”

“Maybe, but it's pretty obvious you've never lived with Paige.”

The two young women chatted for a while longer, and Rey told her friend about her weekend.

“I knew it! I knew you’d make short work of Ben Solo. You're too tough for him.”

Rey imagined Rose smiling from ear to ear on the other end of the phone.

“Stop... We just decided to make peace and do our best to work together in a friendly manner, so that he can make a quick and full recovery.”

“I think you should put the bikini back on, you know, to keep him motivated.”

“Rose!” Rey scolded as the brunette giggled into the earpiece.

“OK, I’d better go. I have to pack up all my stuff again and get out of this disgusting place!”

“Sounds good, Rose. I'll see you next Saturday?”

“You bet. Bye, Rey.”

Rey put the phone down and was about to go back to the kitchen to do the dishes when it vibrated once again.

_What did Rose forget to tell her?_

But it wasn't Rose calling back.

It was Finn.

Rey's heart skipped a beat, and she stood there motionless, staring at her cell phone as if it had suddenly become radioactive.

_Finn. After four months of silence._

On the couch, her phone rang three more times before going to voicemail just as Rey reached her room and slammed the door.

OooooooO

On Monday morning, when Ben arrived, accompanied by Larma, in the rehabilitation room, Rey was waiting for him, sitting on the floor mat. A few rays of sun filtered through the tiles and a magnificent rainbow stood out in the distance above the trees of the forest.

It was ten o'clock on the dot and the young woman got up to come and greet him and take over from the nurse.

“Hello, Ben. Glad to see you haven't changed your mind,” she said, grabbing his arm and pushing his walker aside.

“You're lucky, I'm in a pretty cooperative mood today,” replied the actor, a smile stretching across his lips.

Amilyn had kindly asked him to make an effort. Very well. He was going to do it. If Rey Kanata was surprised by his unusual kindness, she didn't let it show as she returned his smile.

“Perfect! So let's start with a little treadmill, okay?”

“You're the boss.”

He spent the next thirty minutes on the machine, adjusting his stride to the different speeds that Rey imposed on him. When he finished, Rey suggested they move on to squats. They stood facing each other, with Rey doing the exercises right along with him.

“So, this weekend… Did everything work out well for you?” she asked, syncing her breathing with his.

“Yeah, the mediation went well, and I also spent some time with my mother, which hadn’t happened for a very long time.”

“I guess she's a very busy woman.”

“You could say that, yes,” he said before exhaling, fixing his gaze on a point over the young woman’s shoulder.

Rey realized that she shouldn’t press him on this and changed the subject.

“You must have been happy to be back home. Let me guess ... Central Park?”

Ben smiled again.

“Nice try, but wrong. Brooklyn Heights.”

“Two steps from the Promenade, I presume?”

“Of course,” retorted Ben jokingly. “And yes, I admit that I missed my home, especially my books and my green plants - and I think they missed me too. Even if my neighbor has taken good care of them in my absence.”

“You live alone?” The young woman raised her eyebrows, a little surprised.

“Yes, why?”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to pry,” she stammered, embarrassed.

“It's fine, no problem.”

The exercise ended and they stared at each other for a few moments without speaking, both of them slightly out of breath. Then Rey walked to the small bench near the window and returned with a towel and a new topic of conversation:

“Your operation with Gwendoline Phasma is coming up soon, right?”

“In three weeks. The swelling still needs to go down a bit.”

Ben had never considered himself very handsome. Quite the contrary: his ears were too floppy, nose too big, face too asymmetrical… And that had never been a problem for him. He’d never gone for the good-looking romantic lead parts in rom-coms. But knowing that this red line was now going to permanently mar his cheek was a real blow. If he was lucky enough to return to a film set one day, the make-up artists would certainly have their work cut out for them.

“Well,” said the young woman simply, holding his gaze again.

There was green in her irises, and Ben realized then that Rey was perhaps one of the few people whose eyes didn’t always drift over his scar each time she spoke to him.

“In three weeks, you can compete once again for the title of ‘sexiest man alive,’” she added. “But good luck dethroning Idris Elba!”

The little laugh they shared relaxed the atmosphere between them completely. Then Rey bit her lip and became serious once again, declaring with a sincerity that disarmed him:

“I'm sorry I yelled at you that day at the pool.”

Ben's fist clenched on the towel and he took a deep breath before answering:

“And I’m sorry I yelled at you in the park.”

At these words, Rey's face lit up again with a huge smile, and Ben’s heart suddenly felt lighter.

OooooooO

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Ben slid a razor over his cheek, being careful not to touch his bandage. He was going to meet Rey for a new PT session in a few hours, and he was humming an old Bob Dylan tune that had been stuck in his head ever since he jumped out of bed. It had been more than a week now since he and Rey had made their peace, the sun was shining outside, winter seemed to be coming to an end, and the temperatures were getting more and more pleasant.

His mother had called him the day before and they’d talked about everything and nothing, just as they had done the previous Sunday when he’d gone to her house in Manhattan.

That day, a car had picked him up, and he’d expected to be taken to one of Leia's favourite fancy restaurants. So he’d been surprised to find himself at the bottom of her apartment building in the heart of the Upper East Side. On her doorstep, his mother had given him a radiant smile and hugged him. She’d then asked him to make himself comfortable while she went to tend the arrabiata sauce simmering on the stove.

A simple homemade dish. That had been unexpected.

He knew she enjoyed cooking. But throughout his childhood and until he left home, her obligations and busy schedule as a former lawyer turned senator had prevented Ben from being able to enjoy her home cooking very often.

He remembered the Thanksgivings they’d spent together as a family, when the turkey was roasting in the oven, and he and Leia prepared gingerbread cookies together as Han and Luke drank and laughed on the sofa while watching football.

It was the good old days.

Today, his father lay buried in the Green-Wood cemetery, and Luke had left the country.

When dessert time had arrived that day, his mother had asked how his rehabilitation was going - although he knew she called the clinic every day for information - and the young man finally admitted that he’d gotten rid of Snoke.

Leia had stared at him, looking stunned. Then her shoulders had dropped as if a huge weight had just been lifted off them and, without a word, had emptied her glass of wine in one go.

Her hatred for Allan had always been strong. She blamed him for Anakin's descent into hell, and did not approve of Ben’s decision to take him on as an agent after his falling out with Luke. She’d tried many times to warn him about the man's harmful influence. Han had also tried to warn him. And now Ben had to admit that they’d both been right. He had finally opened his eyes and seen how horrible, greedy, and toxic Snoke was.

When it was time to say goodbye that evening, Ben had kissed and thanked her, and Leia had taken his hand and held it tight.

“I'm so glad you're better. I was so scared that you…”

Her eyes had been bright and her lips trembling, but she’d tried to keep a smile on her face. Saying "I love you" had always been a bit complicated for her.

It was difficult for him, too.

“I know, Mom... I know," he replied, kissing her on the cheek.

OooooooO

Rose Tico was pretty good, but Rey Kanata had magic in her fingers.

“Let the air in and out of your lungs slowly. Focus your attention on your forehead and slowly release all the muscles of your face, your neck, your eyelids ... Feel the flow of energy along your nerve fibers, through your arms, your legs …”

The day's session had been intense, earning Ben the right to this deluxe massage. Rey’s hands kneading his neck were warm and soft, and the actor was slowly slipping into the wonderful world of contentment.

“Are you ok?”

“Mmmm…” he confirmed before hearing Rey fail to suppress a little laugh.

The young therapist then placed her palms on his pectorals, over his T-shirt, to work on pressure points on his chest. Ben had just lost skin-to-skin contact with her and, without quite knowing why, that annoyed him. So he cheated, opening one eye and then the other to discover the brunette leaning over him, her eyelids closed and her face a picture of concentration. A halo of light from outside illuminated her fine features and brought out the string of freckles on her nose and cheekbones. Her full pink lips glistened a little, and the actor closed his eyes abruptly.

A delicious and sensual shiver slid down his spine. A shiver that, against all odds, spread to his lower abdomen.

Ben tried to focus on the flow of energy that Rey had talked about. But he couldn't stop the image of Rey’s perfect figure in that red bikini from materializing in his mind. He relived the water drops on her tanned skin, the fire in her eyes, and her angry finger pointing directly at his heart.

_Rey Kanata…_

This girl was special - he’d felt it from their first meeting in the park. What Amilyn had told him later only confirmed that impression.

_No no no… Stop. Don't go there…_

Rey's palms continued to slide lower, down to his abs. And the heat went up again.

_Control yourself, Solo…_

“Ethan? What are you doing here?”

Rey's hands suddenly left his body, causing him to open his eyes and turn his head slightly to see who the young woman was talking to. He then saw a round face, wearing a pair of red glasses, peeking through the gap in the door.

Rey asked Ben to excuse her for a moment and walked towards the entrance.

“Don't tell me you've been giving Poe the slip!”

“Yes... and I also wanted to see you, and Kylo Ren,” murmured a child's voice.

Rey was a little embarrassed.

“Look, Ethan, Mr. Solo isn't…”

“Rey?” called Ben as he got up. “I think we were almost done, right?”

Rey gave him a significant look before opening the door wide, and Ben was shocked by the vision of the frail little figure walking towards him. The boy must have been nine or ten at most. His right arm and left leg had been replaced with prosthetic limbs, so he was progressing slowly and with difficulty. Rey encircled him with her arms but without touching him, and the actor quickly masked his surprise and emotion by displaying his biggest smile.

“Ethan,” said Rey, “This is Ben Solo. Ben, this is Ethan. He's eight years old and he's a very big fan of ‘Galactic Wars.’”

“Hello!” exclaimed the boy, who was now standing in front of him, visibly delighted to meet one of the heroes of his favorite saga.

“Hi Ethan, nice to meet you.”

The little boy reached out his multicoloured composite fingers and Ben grabbed them, only to find that the child could control his articulated hand to squeeze his own. Then Rey grabbed Ethan under his arms to sit him on the table next to Ben. The boy was wearing a T-shirt printed with the poster for Episode VII and sneakers emblazoned with the logo of the saga.

“If you snuck out while you were with Poe, he must be looking for you everywhere!” scolded Rey without much conviction. “I'm going to let him know, and you're going to wait for me here, okay? Do you mind watching him?” she added, addressing Ben this time.

“No problem,” replied the latter.

The therapist then slipped away, and Ben turned his head towards the kid who was still staring at him with big round eyes.

“Did you keep your saber and your Kylo Ren mask?” asked Ethan.

“That’s supposed to be a secret - but yes, I have them.”

“My mother bought me the same lightsaber as yours, but when I wanted to play with my cousin Kevin, it broke.”

He looked so disappointed that Ben's heart melted a little more.

“Did you see? I have a robot hand just like the Jedi Grand Master from ‘Galactic Wars.’ And my leg too. I didn't have an accident like you, I had a disease. It's called meningitis. Bacteria attacked my forearm and my leg, so they had to be removed. It was Dr. Poe who gave me these new ones. Do you know him?”

The actor cleared his throat to try to contain the wave of emotion that was now rising in his chest.

“I had the opportunity to meet him, yes. He's very nice.”

“Yes, and Rey is very nice, too. And she’s beautiful. I wish I was bigger so I could be her boyfriend. Because she doesn't care that I have prostheses and she always tells me that I'm cute. Do you have a girlfriend?”

A small smile, both sad and tender, appeared on Ben's lips.

“I used to have one, but not anymore.”

“Oh …” sighed the child, as if he sympathized. “Is it because of your accident?”

Was he really going to try to explain the world's most disastrous love life to an eight-year-old child?

“I think it did speed up our breakup a little bit, yeah. But the two of us just weren't right for each other.”

Suddenly, something vibrated behind them. It was Rey's phone sitting on the cabinet by the table. Ben and Ethan turned around at the same time to read the name on the screen: Finn. The same thought crossed their minds: Who was this guy?

Then just as the cell phone went silent once again, Rey and Poe entered the room.

“You! You little rascal!" exclaimed the orthopedist, rushing towards the child and taking him in his arms to twirl him in the air. “I turn my back for two seconds, and you take the opportunity to sneak away?”

“Sorry Poe, I wanted to meet Ben because he's Kylo Ren and he's my favorite character in ‘Galactic Wars’ right now!”

“Well, maybe Kylo Ren could give you his autograph?” suggested Rey with a smirk and a wink to Ben.

“Sure, no problem,” he replied.

“Awesome! Will you sign my hat? Oh no, Poe, I left it in your office!”

“I'll go get it,” Dameron said, putting the child back down on the floor.

Ben offered to accompany him and Ethan, to end his session with a bit of walking. Rey agreed and made an appointment with him for the next day, which Ben acknowledged with a nod and a smile.

Just before crossing the threshold, as Ethan and Poe walked down the hallway while continuing to tease each other, Ben took one last look in Rey's direction. He saw that she was now holding the phone in her hand, and that she had lost her wonderful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonderful Kaypoe/ Poedel fanart made by @Elopez7228 !!!! Thank you so much !!!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you so much for all the coms and support._

  


Rey was updating her session reports on one of the computers in the common room when Rose appeared in the doorway behind her.

“Hey there, how’s it going?” she called out, holding a steaming mug in each hand.

“Hi Rose! What are you doing here?”

The brunette joined her and the two friends hugged each other warmly.

“I'm borrowing material for Brookdale. I saw on the schedule that you were done for this morning, so I thought I'd stop by and bring you a cup of coffee.”

“You’re a sweetheart!” Rey gushed as she grabbed the cup Rose held out to her and took a sip right away.

After an hour in front of her screen, she really needed a good dose of caffeine.

“So what's new at the clinic?” Rey asked, getting up and following Rose to the small sitting area.

“Well, Charlie’s leaving in a week. How would you feel about replacing him? It'd be nice to work together again.”

It was so tempting. Rose was a real ray of sunshine and the two of them were a great team.

“Well... Why not?" Rey replied, sinking into the soft cushions of the couch.

She knew there was a lot of work to be done there, and she was interested in helping a different group of patients, far from the gilded world in which the wealthy residents of Whitegrove lived. It was by going to Brookdale for a consultation that Ethan, whose family had very few resources, was able to benefit from proper orthopedic care and equipment.

“Are your patients here all done with their treatment?” asked Rose.

“Harriet Harris and Carol Douglas left two days ago, and I finished with Ethan—at least until the next adjustment of his prostheses. If Charlie returns, he can take over with Lewis O'Hara.”

“And Solo?”

Ben had made incredible progress in a short period of time. He was now able to walk without any help, even if his steps were still a bit hesitant. Nothing was stopping him from leaving Whitegrove after his laser treatment in two days and paying for sessions at home if he wanted. She would probably never see him again, except on a movie screen.

“He’s almost finished too,” she announced.

And that was a good thing, wasn't it? Shouldn’t a therapist be happy to see her patient fully recovered after all his hard work? That's why she did this job: to take care of people. So she was happy for him. Really happy...

“It would be great to have you at the clinic then!” Rose enthused. “On the other hand, coming to work at Brookdale would force you to travel a lot every day if you stay here in Greenwich.”

“I could find a cheap B&B in Bedford or Crown Heights," Rey announced.

The young woman made a good living, but she wasn't going to spend her entire salary on rent for an apartment in one of New York's most desirable neighborhoods.

“I really wish we could room together, it's silly," Rose sighed, pouting. “But I can't in good conscience let Paige down right now.”

“How is she?" Rey asked solicitously.

Rose's sister had recently learned that her boyfriend of a month—and in her dreams, the future father of her children—had in fact been living a double life and spending his evenings not working late at the office, but having sex with one of his colleagues.

“Pretty bad,” Rose grimaced. “And by the way, thank you so much for your invitation to spend the weekend at the stud farm. Getting some fresh air in the country will do us both a lot of good. And I love your grandmother! She’s so great!”

“And don’t forget, you're both invited to her birthday party on April 5th. I'm warning you, half the people from Delmar will probably be there! And I have to say, it'll be good for me to see her this weekend too…”

Rey ended that statement with a sigh just a little too loud and too long, and her perceptive friend immediately guessed that something was wrong.

“Are you okay?" Rose worried.

“I’m fine!" she replied, putting a big smile on her face and trying to sound convincing.

It was only half a lie. Everything was "almost" fine. Except for the nightmares some nights and… Finn.

Rose took a sip of coffee while staring intently at her friend over the rim of her cup.

Rey felt a little ashamed. It was silly. Why hadn’t she told Rose that her ex had tried to contact her several times over the past two weeks? The answer was very simple: not telling her meant continuing to pretend that those phone calls never happened.

_Why was he calling now? Where was he? Still in London?_

The couple had had a wonderful relationship for a year, sharing an apartment, laughter, and good sex, and Rey had believed for a time that Finn was the one for her. Brilliant and passionate, he was one of the most popular young executives at Stormtroop Worldwide, the famous international advertising agency, and everything had been going so well between them—until last September and that terrible night when Lindsay had attempted suicide.

The image of the young girl lying lifeless on the floor of her bedroom, a bottle of vodka and a bottle of pills both empty near her, would be forever etched in her memory.

If she had just listened to Lindsay's message that afternoon, none of this would have happened.

Finn had never understood why she felt guilty. He spent his evenings at the office, arriving home later and later as she tried to hide her eyes red from crying all evening. In the morning, he would leave for work, smiling and kissing her as if everything was OK, while she had huge dark circles under her eyes. But she’d made excuses for him despite protests from Rose and Poe.  
She needed to dust herself off and do something, maybe ask Amilyn for support. She was the only one who could help herself.

And then one evening, as they were eating a small romantic dinner that Rey had prepared, Finn had dropped a bombshell: he’d been offered the post of assistant director of the English branch of F.O.W. The announcement had been made to him a month earlier, and that was why he’d been working so hard recently. It was a fantastic opportunity, one that he couldn't refuse.

Rey, completely stunned, had looked at him uncomprehendingly and asked why he hadn't told her before now. But then she suddenly understood: he had already made up his mind.

“I know your life is here, Rey. You have Maz, your friends, your work.”

“And you didn't even consider for a moment asking me if I would agree to follow you? Instead, you just preferred to confront me with it as a done deal?”

The young woman's eyes had filled with tears. It was too much, too much all at once—even though Finn was right. Her life was here. Unlike him, she hadn't for one second ever considered leaving the United States.

And so their relationship had ended there, on that sad October night. Finn had flown to London a week later and she’d left Whitegrove and gone back to her grandmother's house.

“You have that little frown there... right between your eyebrows," Rose showed her with the tip of her index finger.

“What frown?”

“That little wrinkle there, every time something is bothering you and you're procrastinating about whether you're going to tell me or not.”

Rey wanted to protest but that would be ridiculous—it was useless to deny it any longer. So she finally rolled her eyes and exhaled heavily, puffing out her cheeks.

“Finn has been trying to reach me for two weeks. I haven't dared to answer yet.”

“What?!” Rose almost choked on her coffee.

“I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about this earlier. That was really bad of me.”

“But... but... Do you think he's calling from England? What does he want with you after four months of radio silence?” Rose stammered, still a little stunned by the news.

Rey was asking herself the exact same questions, of course.

“Do you think he'll try again? You gonna block his number? What are you going to do?”

Rey finally decided to jump in and stop the flow of questions.

“I don't know about that. I've moved on, Rose, you know that. And I hope he has, too. And the longer this goes on, the more I think it's stupid to keep avoiding him like this. Maybe I should just pick up the phone and see what he wants with me.”

Rose made a face.

“I would hope he’s calling to apologize! Do you mind if I keep hating him for choosing his career over you?”

“Rose…”

“The thing with Lindsay really had you all shook up, Rey. You needed him. He could have tried to convince his boss, at least postpone his departure, I don't know…”

“But he would have gone anyway. And I didn't want to go live there. We were at an impasse.”

“Yeah…” Rose grumbled as she got out of her chair and sat down next to Rey on the couch, putting her arm around her shoulders. The tender gesture wrung a smile out of her. Rose was a bit like the sister she never had. And Rey thanked heaven every day for friends like her, Kaydel, and Poe.

“You're a wonderful person, Rey. You really deserve to find someone who’ll win your heart and do anything for you.”

Rey pressed her head against her friend’s temple and smiled again.

“You too, Rose.”

“Oh, I've already found him! It's just that Armitage Hux doesn't know I exist yet!”

The two young women laughed, and then Rose suddenly stood up and kissed Rey on the cheek.

“Alright, well, I’ve got to go. I'm due back at Brookdale.”

“And I've got to make a quick trip into town.”

“And you’re thinking about coming to work at the clinic?”

“I'm thinking about it,” Rey said.

OooooooO

In the early afternoon, Rey had taken advantage of her lunch break to drive into downtown Greenwich. Maz was celebrating her seventieth birthday soon, and Rey’s gift to her would be an all-inclusive tour of the Great American West. Her grandmother had always dreamed of this, and Rey, who’d been saving up for a while now to give her this gift, had everything all planned out. Three of Maz’s friends from Delmar would go with her on a two-week road trip to California, Las Vegas, Yosemite, Death Valley, and of course the must-see Grand Canyon. Rey was looking for something Maz could unwrap that day, in order to slip the trip itinerary inside it. She absolutely could not wait to see her grandmother’s face when she discovered the surprise.

So she parked in the Barnes & Noble parking lot and entered the store. When she’d found what she was looking for in the "travel guide" section, she walked happily towards the checkout. It was then that she stopped dead in front of a display of various celebrity magazines. A headline written in all caps, splashed across the glossy, flashy cover of one of them, had caught her eye.

**HAS BEN SOLO HIT ROCK BOTTOM?**

**The star of the “Galactic Wars” saga pushes everyone away.**

Rey grabbed one of the copies and her good mood suddenly evaporated.

Under the title, a poor quality photo showed Ben walking with his walker on the grounds of the clinic. She was next to him but her face had been blurred. The picture looked like it had been taken from the sky, but the actor was still very recognizable. It was unbelievable.

Shit... How the hell had they gotten these pictures? Inside, other photos were spread out on the central double page, alongside an interview with Bazine Netal and a certain Allan Snoke.

“Miss, if you want to read, you're going to have to buy the magazine,” scolded the security guard who had approached her.

“Yes, uh, sorry,” said Rey, who went to the counter to pay for her purchases.

Sitting in her car, she opened the tabloid again and began to read.

Ben Solo had allegedly broken up with his girlfriend Bazine Netal and fired his agent, Allan Snoke, for no good reason a week ago. In the interview, the supermodel complained that she had never stopped taking care of him, and that he had thrown her away like an old sock. Rey quickly skimmed through the rest of the article.

" _ **I'm in shock. I don't understand. Ben and I had such a deep and wonderful relationship. I stood by his side through the terrible ordeal he went through, and overnight he just decided it was over, that I was nothing to him anymore.”**_

Even as Rey read them, the words did not ring true. But then Ben's agent went on to corroborate what Bazine had said.

" _ **Ben Solo is unstable. He always has been. In that he takes after his grandfather, with whom I worked for many years, as you know.”**_

_**“Even before his accident, things were complicated with Ben. Before me, he had already dismissed his uncle, Luke Skywalker, whom he falsely accused of mismanaging his career. He also has a stormy relationship with his mother, Leia Organa-Solo, who has put her political ambitions ahead of her son all her life. But I believe that the trauma he went through has left a much greater mark on him than he has been willing to admit. He needs help and he rejected us without any consideration whatsoever. It’s sad, because his girlfriend Bazine and I have always cared about his well-being."** _

The whole thing was dripping with hypocrisy. Poe and Rose had been adamant that neither the supermodel nor his agent had ever visited Ben at Whitegrove. People must have started talking on social media, so Bazine was trying to keep her popularity rating intact by making Ben look like the bad guy. As for what Snoke had said: it absolutely reeked of revenge.

The whole thing was despicable. Whatever happened with Bazine and this Snoke guy, she was convinced Ben didn't deserve this.

And that was the problem.

She was well aware that the bonds that had begun to be woven between them went beyond the simple patient-therapist relationship. They were very familiar with each other now, and in the course of their conversations and sessions, she had discovered a man who was sensitive, funny, and very demanding of himself. He had a touching vulnerability in his eyes, and besides that, he exuded a strength and an aura that left her very far from indifferent.

It was not a good thing. It was unprofessional.

She had gotten too emotionally involved. Again. And the last time it had ended badly.

Rey threw the tabloid on the passenger seat and started her car.

She had just entered the lobby of the clinic when, at the back of the room, the elevator doors opened on Ben, Leia Organa-Solo and Amilyn Holdo.

“You have to do something, Ben!” the senator cried out. “Contact your lawyer! Take that creep to court for defamation of character, and that girl too, while you're at it! The same goes for this horrid magazine and its pack of lies. And what is your publicist doing about it?”

“Forget it, Mom,” Rey heard him grumble before exiting the elevator.

He was wearing his black coat and was obviously planning to go for a walk.

Frozen in the middle of the hall, Rey was struck by his resigned expression. It was obvious that they were talking about the article.

“Hello, Rey," he said as he walked up to her. “I'm sorry, but I need to clear my head a little. Can we reschedule for a bit later?”

“Yes... uh... yes, of course, you're my only patient this afternoon," she answered gently. But he didn't wait for her to finish her sentence, instead rushing towards the exit.

His mother made a move to follow him but was held back by Amilyn’s friendly hand on her shoulder.

“Leave him, Leia,” she whispered. “He needs to be alone.”

The three women came face to face in front of the reception desk, and the psychologist let out a long sigh before addressing her:

“Rey, this is Leia Organa-Solo, Ben's mother.”

The senator offered her a polite smile and a friendly handshake.

“Nice to finally meet you, my dear. Amilyn's told me a lot about you. I'm so grateful to you for taking care of my son the way you do.”

“You're very welcome. It's my job.”

“I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make a scene in the middle of the hall like that, it's just that my Ben…”

Leia's voice broke on this last word, and Amilyn wanted to explain to Rey what had happened.

“Pictures of him were taken here, probably with a drone, and they interviewed-”

“I already know about it,” Rey cut in. “I saw the magazine at the bookstore.”

The senator lowered her head, and Amilyn linked her arm through her friend’s.

“Come on Leia, I'll walk you to your car. Don't worry about it. Ben will be fine.”

Leia nodded and thanked Rey again. Then the two women walked down the hallway towards the private parking lot.

Rey stood alone in the middle of the hall with her bag on her shoulder and her car keys in her hand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

 _Not at all professional._.. she blasted herself before hesitating for a few more seconds and then rushing out of the building to try to catch up with Ben Solo.

OooooooO

He'd barely walked halfway down the driveway leading to the park when he heard Rey call out to him.

“Hey, Ben!”

So he stopped, giving the young woman time to catch up with him.

“I've got a proposition for you,” she exclaimed, standing in front of him. “What do you say we replace our session today with a walk on the beach? Walking on the sand would switch things up a bit, and breathing the fresh sea air would do you good. I know a quiet spot on the coast where it’s rarely crowded," she added. “How about it?”

In that moment, standing in front of him, she was again offering him that gorgeous smile that lit up everything around her. A soft breeze made her hair dance around her face with an auburn glow, and the light of the sun brought out the brilliant green in her irises. She was beautiful, and she was waiting for his answer.

“OK, let's go,” he said, returning her smile.

OooooooO

They had been working together for more than three weeks and Ben was now convinced of one thing: Rey Kanata was an amazing girl.

He would be leaving Whitegrove soon, and the prospect of not seeing her every day upset him much more than Snoke’s and Bazine's slanderous and hateful comments in the tabloid press.

The young woman's clear voice pulled him from his contemplation of the landscape through the passenger window.

“Well, here we are.”

She parked in a small parking lot, and the two of them got out of the car to take the reed-lined path leading to the beach. Rey was right: there was hardly anyone here.

“Shall we go that way?” she asked enthusiastically and Ben gladly followed her, filling his lungs with the invigorating salty scent of the Atlantic.

The wind here was stronger and cooler, and he pulled up the collar of his coat while Rey tightened the scarf around her neck. Then they both put their hands in their pockets and walked slowly, at Ben's pace.

“Do you often take your patients for a walk along the seashore?”

“No, not often, but I think you needed to get out of the clinic for a bit.”

Ben gazed out toward the horizon, and he felt Rey's elbow brush against his own.

“I know about the article in that tabloid. I stumbled upon it earlier when I was in town," she confessed.

Ben sighed.

“It's not the first, and it won't be the last.”

“I imagine it must be awful, seeing your life on display like that. Now I understand your reaction when we first met.”

“I've been under a magnifying glass since the day I was born: first because of my grandfather's fame, then my parents', and now because of my job. But I do everything I can to keep a low profile. This kind of thing shouldn't affect me anymore.”

“Ben, people know that what they read in this sort of tabloid is always malicious and far from the truth.”

Talking with Rey had become so natural and comforting lately. He went on to tell her the details of his hopeless relationship with Bazine and his breakup with her two months earlier, just after his admission to the clinic.

“And she has the nerve to say that it happened a week ago,” Rey said, offended on his behalf.

“She's lying. And we broke up by mutual agreement.”

He then explained his problems with Snoke.

“My mother has always been very reluctant to see me pursue an acting career, because of my grandfather. She never talks about him, and neither does my Uncle Luke. I dropped out of law school and entered Julliard, and by the time I told them there was nothing they could do about it. But I'd been dreaming about acting since I was a kid, and I couldn't see myself doing anything else. So after I graduated, my uncle offered to be my agent. As a young man, he’d had his own little moment of fame on Broadway, and later he became a producer. I was pretty happy, I trusted him, and my mother was reassured. In the beginning, we got along really well. I got my bearings, took my first steps on TV shows, then in movies, and managed to land small roles under the direction of some amazing directors. Then I started aiming for starring roles, and that's when I realized that Luke was doing everything he could to stop me. He started telling me that I wasn't ready for certain characters; he made me turn down offers that I was really excited about. And that's when Snoke contacted me and everything went sideways with Luke. We had a fight, and my mother got involved. They both blamed Allan in part for my grandfather's death. They said he got him into drugs and alcohol, that he was calculating and that all he cared about was money. My parents warned me—but I didn't care. Snoke had connections, and I was angry at my uncle. So I cut ties with Luke and, under Snoke's guidance, my career took off. I guess I owe him that much.”

“Your career took off because you're talented, Ben.”

Ben turned his head towards her and a mischievous little smile appeared on his lips. Rey shrugged and rolled her eyes.

“Yes, well… OK, I had to watch some of your movies. You really are a great actor and a good person. Just look at the way you acted with Ethan. You were adorable. And I'm really sorry that these vultures are drooling over you this way.”

She’d given him all those compliments without looking at him, but his eyes were on her. She was luminous, and it had been ages since he’d felt this comfortable with someone.

The tip of her nose and her cheekbones had turned pink in the cool spray, and she suddenly bit her lower lip. He was overcome with an irresistible urge to kiss her.

But in the next step, his foot bumped against a stone and he almost tripped. By reflex, Rey grabbed his arm, and he managed to regain his balance as the young woman slipped one hand into his and the other landed on his chest to stabilize him.

“Ben, are you okay? Maybe we went a little too far. Does your back hurt? Let's just go back, OK?”

Her openness had turned to worry. Her lips were parted and her breath was short.

Ben felt his pulse racing as he drowned in her eyes. It was the first time anything like this had ever happened to him. He was attracted to her like a magnet. Something was happening.

How, why... impossible to say.

For a fraction of a second, he felt as if he could read her like an open book. There's no way Rey didn't also feel this strange force connecting them. He saw her swallow. He had totally stopped breathing. With a slow gesture, he wiped a drop of ocean spray off the young woman's cheek with his thumb, and his index finger brushed against the line of her jaw.

She moved imperceptibly closer to him as he bent his head slightly towards her. Her eyes shone. Her mouth was so close.

Then suddenly she stepped back. Her fingers slipped gently from his and she lowered her head.

_No...Stay with me._

“It's getting late,” she stammered before clearing her throat.

It was barely four o'clock.

“And you mustn't push yourself too hard. We'll go back up the path here and take the small dirt road back to the car. Tomorrow, we'll do a lighter session.”

She was wearing her “therapist” cap once again.

Ben's heart was ready to explode in his chest.

“Perfect, after you,” he forced himself to smile.

OoooooO

On the way home, Rey babbled non-stop, careful never to let the silence settle a little too awkwardly.

Had he gone too far? Had he made her uncomfortable? She was his therapist, and he was well aware that there were lines he shouldn't cross. But he hadn't just imagined what had happened earlier on the beach—he was convinced that Rey felt it too.

The radio was on and Stevie Wonder was singing his famous "Isn't She Lovely" in the background.

When they got to the clinic, they walked up the pathway leading to the entrance as Rey continued her monologue:

“After you leave Whitegrove, if you feel you still have some mobility issues, you can get a home therapist who’ll come to your house and do exercises and massages with you.”

They walked a few more feet and Ben suddenly stopped before turning to her.

“Thank you.”

“Oh, you're welcome.”

“Seriously, thank you for everything you've done for me for almost a month. Your future patients will be so lucky to have you.”

She seemed touched by this.

They were face-to-face again, and he felt that Rey wanted to tell him something else.

“I'm thinking about going to work for a while at Brookdale Hospital in New York. Amilyn has opened a clinic there and they need therapists for free consultations.”

Brookdale Hospital. It was in Brooklyn. Rey was going to spend her days about forty minutes away from his home.

“I'm going to try to rent something not too expensive and not too far from the hospital. And I'm really excited because I'll be working with my friend Rose there.”

She did seem happy. Everything was going great in the best of all possible worlds. She would continue to help new patients, and he’d hopefully go back to his old life in the fast lane, working on film sets, sometimes abroad, dodging the paparazzi, looking for a new agent…

“And, Ben, I also wanted to tell you that…”

She bit her lip. Again.

“Rey?”

They both turned their heads towards the entrance at the same time. A young man in his thirties with dark skin and a shy smile was standing at the front entrance.

Ben glanced furtively at the young woman. She stood stock still and stared at the stranger in amazement.

“Finn…” she let out in a breath, as a gust of wind ruffled the ends of her scarf away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience. I have to warn you: the rating has changed.

Finn Storm.

He was a handsome guy, with dark skin, a bright smile, and designer clothes.

So this was the famous "Finn" whose call Rey had missed the week before.

"Nice to meet you," Ben smiled as he shook hands with him.

"Nice to meet you too, I'm a big fan," the other man replied politely.

His discomfort was perceptible, Rey's more than obvious.

The three of them eyed each other warily for a short time before Ben slipped away on the pretext of having a phone call to make, leaving them alone.

_Damned. Who was this guy to her? Was he a friend? A boyfriend? An ex?_

The actor was strongly leaning towards option three, asking himself a thousand questions all evening without ever managing to get rid of the frozen lump in the pit of his stomach.

The clock hanging on the wall of his room now showed ten p.m. and Ben was staring distractedly at the television, his mind elsewhere, when his cell phone rang. A glance at the screen caused him to slide his thumb over the LCD surface.

"Good evening, Amilyn."

"Hi, sorry to bother you so late, but I have good news for you: your laser procedure will finally take place tomorrow morning. Gwendoline Phasma had a time slot open up, and she'll take care of you around ten a.m. You will then have time to settle all the paperwork for your discharge, and you can leave Whitegrove in the afternoon, if you wish."

"All right, thanks for letting me know," Ben replied.

He was finally going to be able to resume the normal course of his life, get back to his apartment, look for a new agent, and immerse himself in reading whatever scripts anyone was willing to send him. Perhaps he should go through auditions again, just to show that his accident had not in any way diminished his desire to give the best of himself, but there was no real reason to do that. And anyway, the prospect of having to prove himself excited him just as much as ever. He had every intention of working once again with top directors and getting involved in projects that were important to him.

Yes, he wanted all those things.

And also to continue to see Rey. Or at least that's what he'd been planning to do before Finn appeared at the clinic earlier in the day.

"Tell me, Amilyn, do you know a man named Finn Storm? He was waiting for Rey in the lobby earlier when we came back from our walk on the beach."

"Finn came here?" the psychologist repeated, astonished.

"So you know him..."

"How did she react?"

"She was completely cordial. She introduced us to each other and then I came back to my room."

Amilyn sighed and Ben didn't hesitate to ask: "Her boyfriend?"

"Her ex," Amilyn corrected.

The actor leaned back on the couch, tilted his head back, and stared at the ceiling.

"Okay." He blew out a breath. "I thought so."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Is that a hint of annoyance that I hear in your voice, my dear Ben?" Amilyn continued.

There was no point in denying anything. "Aunt Ami" knew him inside and out.

"You were right when you said this girl is something special."

"I'm always right," laughed the older woman. "But tell me, has Rey really succeeded in breaking through the high walls around your heart?"

"Maybe..."

"Perfect! Leia keeps telling me that she can't wait to finally have grandchildren."

Ben had no trouble imagining the happy face Amilyn must be making right now, and against all odds, the corner of his lips also rose up in a smile.

His relationship with Bazine was not the first disaster. His love life was a series of failures, and he had been at fault most of the time: too obsessed with his work, too busy with Snoke in recent years, refusing to get attached, and above all, too angry with his mother, his father, his uncle...

He had come to believe that love was not for him. But it didn't matter—his job was enough for him.

And then Rey had tumbled into his life two months earlier, in the middle of the park. As soon as she'd pulled back her hood, revealing her pert little nose, her angel face, and her frowning brow, he had known...

She had put him in his place, apologized, and then shown up at the pool the next day in that absolutely hot bikini—and the die was cast. Everything he'd been able to discover about her afterwards had only reinforced his belief that Rey Kanata was made for him.

He liked everything about her, and the confidences she'd allowed herself to share with him had touched him: her mother's death in a car accident when she was three months old. The fact that she never knew who her father was. Her happy, carefree childhood at a stud farm upstate, surrounded by the unconditional love of her maternal grandparents. And the tragic death of her grandfather a few years earlier, struck down, like Han, by a heart attack.

"Maz is the only family I have left," she'd told him. "She's going to celebrate her seventieth birthday soon and she's my hero. She is so strong and independent, always in a good mood, and so brave. She's my rock, my pillar in life. I love her more than anything."

She had explained to him the origin of her family name and the real ethnic patchwork from which she came: her great-grandfather Yukio Kanata was Japanese, a Shiatsu master, and had fallen in love with a Russian nurse. They had emigrated with their son Dimitri to the United States, where Dimitri married Maria Isabella Prescott - Maz - a beautiful young Mexican-American girl whom he'd met while working as a groom on a ranch in Texas.

Rey loved her job just as much as he loved his own. And her friends meant a lot to her: Rose, Poe, and Kaydel were like the siblings she never had.

She also dreamed of going around the world one day.

So he too, day after day, had opened up to her as he had never done before. Rey now had more than enough personal information about him to feed all the fan forums, if she wanted to: about his life as a movie star, his projects, his family, how he missed his father terribly, and that he regretted his estrangement with his uncle Luke. About his passion for calligraphy and for Han's old Ford Falcon Futura 50, which he kept in the garage of his building in Brooklyn Heights, plus a whole host of filming anecdotes.

"I remember once we ordered chili on the set of 'Galactic Wars.' We were all starving and we only had ten minutes to eat in between takes. Tallie and I inhaled it without taking a breath, but the stuff was so spicy that we spent the next half hour drinking half the bottled waters on the tray. We had to give up shooting for the rest of the day. And I usually love spicy food!"

"Do you like chili?" she'd exclaimed. "Then you absolutely have to taste my grandmother's! Maz is a true gourmet chef, and I must admit that I'm not such a bad baker myself. I'm rather proud of my special triple chocolate cake!"

Rey was luminous. He couldn't help but try to see her again.

Back in the present once more, he felt the need to express his gratitude.

"Thank you Amilyn.. For everything you've done for me,"

"You're welcome, darling. But you should be thanking the team of physical therapists. And especially Rey, who succeeded in making you a model patient."

Ben's gaze was lost in contemplation of the clinic's wooded grounds visible through the window of his room. As a backdrop, evening twilight haloed the trees in the park in hues of red and orange as the sun disappeared over the horizon.

"Don't worry, I'm planning on it," Ben replied.

OoooooO

Rey's fingers left the forearms of the man currently pressed against her back to grab onto the headboard with force. Her heart was ready to explode in her chest and she felt like she was about to come like she had never come before.

In fact, her legs had begun to shake, and only the huge hand around her throat and the one skillfully torturing her clitoris prevented her from collapsing forward on the mattress. Her body was on fire from the tips of her toes to the top of her skull—a delicious fire that threatened to consume her whole body as her partner's hoarse, panting voice whispered in her ear how beautiful and wonderful she was.

How was it possible to feel so much pleasure? It was beyond good. It was divine.

"That's it, let go, Rey"

Her lover's dark locks caressed her cheek. His greedy mouth devoured the back of her neck, slipped over her shoulder, and now groaned against her skin.

"Oh yes, Ben! Please don't stop!" she almost screamed as she arched her back, tilting her head back to surrender herself completely to him.

Every cell in her body was ready to implode. The orgasm promised to be dazzling, unreal, magnificent...

A sudden ringing sounded, and Rey opened her eyes.

Breathless and with her heart pounding against her ribs, she sat up abruptly. A sheet of paper was stuck to her face. She brushed it off with a wave of her hand.

_Damn it... She must have dozed off for a few minutes on her desk._

Her cheeks were burning, along with her core. When she realized that the landline phone was ringing, she hastily picked it up, still overwhelmed by the scene that had just played out in her head a few seconds earlier.

"Uh... Hello?"

"Rey? It's Amilyn. Sorry to bother you with this, but you'll have to finish completing Ben Solo's file before three p.m. this afternoon. Ben's leaving Whitegrove today. I'm going to take advantage of having to go to the clinic later to drive him to New York."

For a moment, the young woman remained silent on the phone.

This was it: the actor was leaving for good.

"Rey?"

"Yeah... yes, sorry, I... Sorry, Amilyn, I'll take care of it right away."

"Are you okay ?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's great that Ben can finally go home. I'm just, uh..."

"Don't tell me you'll miss him!"

The psychologist's voice had taken on an amused, almost satisfied tone, and Rey preferred to cut the conversation short.

"I'll take care of the file right away. Bye, Amilyn," she hurried to answer before hanging up.

The clock on the wall read one p.m., and Rey, with her hand still resting on the phone, suddenly felt extremely tired and empty. Her half-eaten sandwich lay in front of her computer screen, and material order forms were spread out all over the desk in front of her.

Nodding off in the middle of her work day was completely out of character for her, and was the consequence of the nearly sleepless night she'd spent, tossing and turning back and forth in bed without being able to close her eyes until the first light of day.

And now Amilyn was telling her that Ben was leaving.

The day before, her "almost kiss" with him on the beach had left her in total confusion. With her gaze lost in his, facing the ocean, she'd felt the mad urge to give in to this force that drew her inexorably towards him. Time had stood still for a few seconds and a kind of bond had opened between them. He'd felt it too, she was sure of it.

Then he'd leaned in to kiss her. Or had she made the first move? She wasn't sure anymore. But at the last moment, she'd turned away.

Because he was her patient.

Because what had happened with Lindsay was still etched in her mind.

Because despite everything they'd shared in those weeks of rehab, Ben belonged to a different world: a world of glitz, glamour, and fame. And she was just... Rey.

Yet at the last moment, as they walked up to the clinic, she'd finally decided to tell him how she felt—but Finn's unexpected appearance had cut her off.

Ben had gone back to his room, and her ex had practically begged her to give him some time. So the two of them had gone to the cafeteria to talk.

When she got home, Rey had immediately called Rose and Poe via FaceTime.

"What? Finn's in New York?" Rose was offended. "And he dared to come see you at the clinic?"

"Why would he do that? What did he tell you?" Poe said.

"He apologized."

"Apologized? That's a good one! Better late than never, I guess!" Poe laughed cynically.

"He seemed really sincere and relieved that I agreed to speak with him. He told me that he regretted the way it ended between us, he asked for my forgiveness, and he would like us to remain friends. Nothing more."

On her phone screen, Rey could see that Rose had raised an eyebrow, looking worried.

"Are you still in love with him?"

"Are you kidding? No!" Rey was indignant. "But I'm tired of blaming him for what happened. We had some good times together and I'm glad things are calming down."

Finn had seemed thrilled with his new life in London. He'd just come back to negotiate a big contract, and was staying at a hotel in Manhattan.

"He's only in New York for a week or two, maximum, so there's no point in you guys speculating about it.

"I don't trust him," Poe replied. "What about you, Tico?"

"I don't trust him either. What if he actually came back because he wants you back? I'm sure he didn't show up at the clinic like that just to make amends. He's got something on his mind."

Rey assured them that she wasn't going to fall back into her ex's arms, change her mind, and move across the Atlantic. "Listen. This weekend, we're all going to meet at the stud farm, have a good time, and then you're going to help me look for a place in New York City, okay?"

The conversation had then turned to the weekend at Maz's, and Rey had stayed silent about Ben. And she felt a little bit guilty about that.

Rose and Poe had become her best friends the minute the three of them started working together at the clinic. From that day on, they'd always confided in each other about everything. And yet, this time it was impossible to tell them what had been brewing inside her for quite some time: that she couldn't help smiling when she thought back to her first meeting with Ben in the park, that it had become more and more difficult to touch him without having a thousand indecent thoughts in her head, and that her heart raced every time he laid eyes on her. Not to mention the fire he awakened low in her belly.

_No. Not fire... more like a torrent of lava._

Above all, she couldn't decently tell them that she had stopped counting the number of nights when, alone in bed, Ben's huge, expert fingers had taken the place of her own.

As the weeks went by, this man, whom she had initially found so bad-tempered and infuriating, had turned out to be someone totally different from the cold and overly serious image he projected to the world.

The conclusion was inescapable: she had fallen completely and irremediably in love with him.

Rey took one last bite of her sandwich before putting it back in its wrapper.

Amilyn had asked her to complete Ben's file and she was going to do it. Then she would go to the pool for her session with Mrs. Atkins, and then she would go to Ben's room before he left. She'd decide what to say to him when she got there.

OoooooO

"Bravo, Georgia, you did a good job today."

Georgia Atkins, 53, had breasts that were as augmented as her lips. Her neon pink swim cap almost matched the fuchsia shade of her long nails. She was the wife of a successful banker and a stay-at-home mother whose children, Meghan and David, had left home ten years ago to study at Yale and Harvard, respectively. Her husband had bought a David Hockney painting at auction the week before, and she'd unfortunately decided to try to install it over their fireplace by herself. The result: a fall from the top of the ladder, a broken femur, and an expensive painting hanging crookedly when the cleaning lady had rushed in because of the noise and found her lying on the ground.

"Thank you Rey, you're a sweetheart ! I'm going to miss you so much!"

"That's so sweet of you. But don't worry, Charlie is great."

"And handsome! I ran into him yesterday in the hall."

The young therapist started laughing and helped Georgia out of the pool. She then went to take a shower, got dressed, and walked resolutely to her office. It was three o'clock and she was supposed to meet Charlie there to brief him on the rehabilitation program she and Mrs. Atkins had completed so far. Through the glass wall separating the room from the hallway, she saw her colleague sitting on the sofa with his nose buried in a file—and also a huge bouquet of peonies and blood-red roses in a vase next to the computer.

"Hi Charlie," she exclaimed as she entered, her eyes glued to the flowers.

"Hi Kanata!"

"What's that?" asked the young woman, pointing to the bouquet.

Peonies were her favorite flowers. Her heart suddenly started beating very fast.

"It's for you, apparently. A delivery man just dropped them off."

Charlie gave her a mischievous look, and Rey noticed the little white card slipped between the crimson petals.

Without another glance at her colleague, she grabbed the note and pulled it feverishly from its envelope.

_**Thank you for your kindness, your patience (and God knows that with me it took a lot), your dedication, and your fabulous smile, which brightened every day of my stay here. Also in memory of a certain red bikini, divinely well worn, and in front of which I had the greatest difficulty remaining stoic.** _

_**I wish you the best of luck in your work at the clinic, and I think that since you will be in New York for the next few weeks, it would be nice to go for a coffee together or to have a meal one evening. If you feel like it and/or if you need anything one day, don't hesitate to ask Amilyn for my personal number.** _

_**With profound gratitude and affection,** _

_**Ben Solo** _

Rey's hands were shaking now. She put the card on the desk, took one last look at the bouquet, and stormed out of the office.

* * *

"Hello Charles, is Ben Solo in his room?" she exclaimed as she arrived breathlessly in front of Charles Threepio's counter.

"No, Miss Rey, I had his luggage carried out to Dr. Holdo's vehicle, and he just passed by on his way to the doctors' parking lot."

The young woman thanked him and ran to the door leading to the back of the building. She burst out into the parking lot and spotted Amilyn's SUV.

Ben, keys in hand, was about to get in on the passenger side. He was alone, and Rey took off running again.

"Ben?"

The actor turned around, and a smile grew on his face as Rey finally reached him and stood in front of him, panting and cheeks flushed from the sprint she had just taken through the corridors of the clinic.

"Hey... Looks like you ran."

He looked even more handsome than usual in his beige sweater and black jeans. He was no longer wearing the grey bandage on his cheek. His bare scar was slightly reddened by the effects of the laser, but there was no doubt that the result would be perfect. In the end, there would only be a thin, barely visible line left.

Blood was pounding against the young woman's temples. She couldn't believe what she was about to do and, without further hesitation, she grabbed Ben's shoulders and pressed her mouth against his.

For a moment, Rey feared she had gone too far. But the actor, surprised at first, quickly sank into the kiss, groaning. Rey felt a hand slip behind her neck while the other hand clutched her waist. Ben's palms were warm and caressing, soft and electrifying at the same time.

It was perfect. Just like in her dream.

Their bodies were now glued together. Ben was huge and his lips were wonderful, even softer than she had imagined. When his tongue tried to make its way through to taste hers, she surrendered entirely and their embrace suddenly became greedier. Ben's breathing quickened. She was overwhelmed with desire.

Let go, Rey...

The parking lot, the car, the clinic no longer existed. The oxygen in her lungs began to run out so she slowly pulled back, but Ben continued to peck at her lips, her chin, the line of her jaw.

"God, Rey... I've been wanting to do this since we first met in the park," he said breathlessly.

"We yelled at each other," she smiled.

"You dazzled me."

The young woman then brushed his cheek with her fingertips, taking care not to touch his scar.

"I hope you're not in pain."

"It doesn't hurt."

Ben's scent was starting to go to her head. Bergamot, vetiver, and something absolutely exhilarating and slightly wild that she still couldn't quite identify...

_What if Amilyn came along?_

So her words came out hastily, a bit jumbled:

"Finn's my ex. He lives in London now. Because of work. We broke up last year. He just came back to New York for work too."

"Okay..."

Ben's mouth was on her earlobe, then slid slowly against her cheek to come back to her mouth. And Rey's whole body tensed.

She had to be honest with him, because she didn't want him to think that her past reluctance had anything to do with Finn...

"Finn just wanted to talk to me yesterday... As a friend, I mean. I wanted you to know that, to make it clear, because..."

"Because?" Ben whispered, now looking her straight in the eye.

She felt like the earth would open up under her feet and swallow her whole. But she clung to his shoulders and got a little lost in his dark eyes, and they grounded her and gave her the courage to tell him the truth.

"Because your bouquet was beautiful and I would love to go for coffee with you."

Ben then gave her the most wonderful smile. He grabbed his phone from the back pocket of his jeans, unlocked the screen, and handed it to her.

"So, can I have your number?"

_Damn, what was her phone number again?_

Without quite realizing what she was doing, Rey opened his contacts app, tapped on the keyboard, and then returned his cell phone.

The sound of high heels clicking on the asphalt was suddenly heard behind them. Rey turned her head to see Amilyn walking in their direction.

"Well, well... You're here, Rey?"

The young therapist quickly ran a hand through her hair. It was so embarrassing... She was sure she must look completely disheveled and as red as a tomato. Instinctively, she took two steps back while Ben continued to stare at her greedily. The actor's lips were still pink from their kisses and his cheeks were on fire too.

"Yes, I... I was just saying goodbye to Ben," she replied, stammering.

The psychologist refrained from commenting and just nodded with a smile that spoke volumes.

"Ready to go, Solo?" she said, turning to Ben, who gave her the keys.

"Yes, we can go."

He worked his jaw and then gave the young woman a last knowing smile as Amilyn settled behind the wheel. "Goodbye, Rey. See you soon, I hope."

"See you soon," she echoed.

Then she watched the car drive away along the cypress-lined driveway, pass the gates of the clinic, and disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO SO MUCH to the very talented Bijou and Ponyopapier for their beautiful art inspired by this fic


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always, thank you so much to my dear Reyloanne for the translation. ❤

The weather was beautiful on this Saturday afternoon.

Poe, Rose, Kaydel, Paige, and Rey had arrived at the stud farm in the late morning and Maz, as usual, had prepared a delicious meal for them which had everybody raving. Rey was now busy in the kitchen making coffee when her phone signaled that she had just received a text message. She opened the messaging app and a picture of a beautiful green plant appeared on the screen. The caption underneath said:

**"She's in great shape. I don't think she really missed me after all. But I miss you already, so much. Ben."**

The young woman's face lit up. She hadn't expected Ben to contact her again so soon. She'd even feared that he wouldn't do so at all. So these few tender words written in black and white boosted her confidence.

"What's his name?"

Rey jumped. Maz had just entered the kitchen. Without looking at her granddaughter, but with a small, knowing smile on her face, she began to arrange the cups that were waiting on the central island in a bamboo tray.

"Oh, uh... it's Ben, a patient," Rey replied. "He left the clinic yesterday and he sent me a message to tell me that he got home and everything is fine."

She had adopted a perfectly neutral tone, which she hoped would discourage Maz from questioning her further.

"So it's not because of this Ben that your phone has been grafted to your hand since this morning, and that you've been smiling blissfully and staring off into space as soon as we all have our backs turned?"

Maz continued to casually fill the tray with the teaspoons, sugar, and shortbread she had prepared for everyone. Rey decided that she didn't want to hide anything from anyone anymore.

"In fact, it is," she replied. "Before he left yesterday, Ben and I, we…"

Rose then burst into the room.

"I heard Ben's name mentioned. What has Solo done now?"

Her annoyed look immediately turned into a contented smile when she caught sight of Maz's cookies. She swiped one from the tray before turning her attention to Rey.

"He did nothing wrong," sighed the young therapist as she turned on the coffee maker. "We just kissed yesterday."

Rose, who had just bitten into her shortbread, froze on the spot. Maz, ready to take the tray out under the veranda, stopped her movement.

It was at this precise moment that Poe also entered the kitchen.

"Who kissed who? Did I miss an interesting scoop?" he called out, amused.

Neither Rose nor Maz, still in the throes of surprise, were able to answer him.

And finally Kaydel, preceded by her enormous round belly, joined the small group, exclaiming with enthusiasm:

"Hey, guess what? Paige and John snuck out to visit the stables. I can't believe it ! We've been here for, like, three hours, and those two have already fallen for each other!"

"Rey and Ben Solo too, obviously," stammered Rose.

"That's not true!"

"Ben Solo, the actor?" Poe and Kaydel exclaimed simultaneously.

Rey couldn't back down now. Four pairs of eyes were now on her, and everyone was waiting for an explanation.

She talked about how she and Ben had become closer over the past few weeks, about their long conversations during sessions at the clinic, about their mutual attraction and the fact that she had discovered someone totally different than what she'd expected. She told them about the walk on the beach and the kiss they'd almost exchanged then, and about the kiss they'd actually exchanged the day before, in the parking lot, just before he left Whitegrove.

"I have no idea what's going to happen next, how things are going to turn out. But he just texted me and I'm acting like a hormonal teenager," she confessed, blushing.

Maz's face lit up with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Poe suddenly became euphoric, and Kaydel elbowed him in the stomach when he asked Rey if Ben - since the two of them were now on such intimate terms - could arrange a meeting with Tallie Lintra.

"I just want to get her signature on my Funko Pop!" Poe said in justification, massaging his ribs.

Only Rose remained silent with an annoyed look on her face. Rey would've liked to know why, but the interrogation that followed, led by Maz and the Damerons, lasted a good half an hour.

It was 3 p.m now and everybody had finally left her alone. Poe and Kaydel were taking a little nap together, Maz was busy on the phone with the caterer for her party, and Paige still hadn't returned from her walk with John. So Rey went upstairs and found Rose in the room she was sharing with her sister.

The brunette was putting the few clothes she had brought for the weekend into the dresser.

Rey knocked on the door frame, but Rose didn't turn her head.

"Are you angry?" she asked.

Rose continued to walk back and forth for a few moments between her bag on the bed and the dresser.

"Not angry, no. Just disappointed. I thought the agreement between us was to tell each other everything."

Rose was a wonderful girl, sparkling, with a strong character, who loved to laugh but also liked to grumble a lot. And here, Rey could tell that Rose just wanted to sulk and make her pay a bit for her secrecy.

"The whole thing caught me by surprise, Rose. At first I thought it was completely insane, that my breakup with Finn was too recent. That I'd just come back to the clinic and that there was absolutely no way I was going to fall for one of my patients, especially one who's a movie star! I swear I fought it, but it happened anyway. And I think Ben is sincere too, when he says he wants to see me again. So I have to tell you that I'm panicking right now, and I could really use some sage advice from my best friend... Especially since my other best friend is only thinking about using me to feed his collection of autographed 'Galactic Wars' items."

Rey concluded her speech with a nervous laugh. She was totally freaking out, and she hoped her friend would eventually realize it.

Rose paused and then pushed her bag aside to sit on the bed. She then motioned to Rey to come and sit down next to her. The two young women stayed there for a while, looking at their shoes, before Rose finally broke the silence:

"Is he a good kisser?" she asked with a smile.

"Insanely good," Rey replied, biting her lip.

Rose took her friend's hand in hers.

"Are you aware that you're going to have to deal with his celebrity? Not just because he's a Hollywood star, but also because of his mother who's a senator. All of his actions are exposed to the world, and so yours will be too. Not to mention his job: he might spend a lot of time away from New York, on film shoots or doing promo all over the world... Have you thought about that?"

Yes, Rey had thought about it, but not in a very concrete way. She tightened her fingers around Rose's.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Rose asked, and Rey sighed.

"I can't help smiling every time I think of him. I have butterflies in my stomach. When I'm with him, I feel like some kind of force is pushing us together. I don't even know how to explain it to myself. I'm just happy. I want to smile like an idiot."

"Oh, I can explain it very well… You're falling in love, girl… You are so done for."

Rey started sniffling.

"I'm terrified, Rose. After Finn, I…"

"Forget Finn. And forget what I just told you. You have to take full advantage of this. After all, even though he's been a jerk at times, I'm not going to deny the fact that Solo is absolutely hot and has an amazing ass."

Rey couldn't but giggle, resting her temple affectionately against her friend's shoulder. Rose laid her cheek on top of Rey's head and added:

"I hope it works out between you, I really do. And he'd better watch that amazing ass of his if he tries to hurt you. Because If he screws up, Kylo Ren will get to know Rose Tico's ruthless Dark Side."

OoooooO

From the balcony of his apartment, Ben had a breathtaking view of the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan island, and the skyscrapers of the business district. It was three o'clock on this Saturday afternoon, the sun was shining, and the waterfront walkways and parks all along the river were filled with pedestrians. The gray waters of the Hudson River seemed to be adorned with sparkling silver, and a light breeze was drying the sweat that had soaked his T-shirt and covered his skin.

Rey had advised him to continue his rehabilitation for a week or two, so he took advantage of the good weather and a quiet moment to do the series of exercises he used to do with her outside, every day at Whitegrove.

The day before, as soon as he arrived home, the phone had begun ringing non-stop. First a call from his mother, who was delighted to see him out of the clinic and asked when she could come and visit. Then a call from his lawyer, informing him that the contractor involved in his accident had agreed to the proposed deal. His insurance company was thrilled, and Hawkins wanted to know if Ben still wanted the damages to be paid to the various charities he supported. The actor confirmed this and Hawkins promised to take care of it.

Ben had then called Josh Lewis, his faithful assistant. Lewis, who had been working for him for several years, told him that representatives of Creative Artist and United Talent Agency had left several messages on his answering machine, as well as Monica Mothma, a friend of Luke's and a renowned New York talent agent. They all were proposing to take Ben's career in hand, since Allan Snoke and the First Order had been "crazy enough to turn their backs on an artist of his caliber." Hearing this, Ben couldn't help but smile. He wasn't really susceptible to flattery, but finding out that Snoke was wrong and that there were still people out there who believed in him was exhilarating.

Monica Mothma was excellent in her field and he was definitely considering accepting her offer to work with her. So Josh had set up an early morning meeting, and Ben had had breakfast with her this morning in the coffee shop just around the corner. To his great satisfaction, their meeting had finally concluded in a brand new collaboration.

Ben had spent the rest of this morning answering emails and messages from friends who were checking in on him, and ordering enough food online to fill his fridge properly. He'd also taken the time to inspect each of his green plants to make sure that his building manager, Mr. Artoo, had taken care of them while he was away.

He was really happy to fall back into the rhythm of his home, his neighborhood, and his regular habits. Now the normal course of his life could resume.

Well, almost - because Rey Kanata had not left his mind for a single second since his departure from Greenwich.

He had told himself that he was going to let the weekend pass before calling her but he had been unable to do so.

He'd texted her two hours earlier, and now he was thinking about how he was going to ask her out. He knew that she needed to find a place to stay in the city while she worked at the clinic, and he was seriously considering offering to let her stay here.

He was crazy. Crazy about her.

So he wiped his face with a towel and walked through his living room to the bathroom. He really needed a shower. As he walked past the large mirror on the hallway wall, he realized he was smiling. Snoke was out of his life, his relationship with his mother was back on track and his desire to go back to work had never been greater.

The hot water running down his body did him good. He was almost pain-free and hadn't taken any painkillers for the past two weeks. Another good thing.

As he washed himself, he remembered the last few months at the clinic: the softness of Rey's hands, the melodious sound of her voice, her dazzling smile. An entire reel dedicated to the young woman began to play out behind his closed eyelids: her hazelnut eyes starred with green, the bow of her mouth, the curve of her legs, the delicacy of her neck ... and a gentle warmth awakened in his lower abdomen. Ben's hand swept down his stomach to find that he was already half hard. White steam had filled the shower stall and his body was boiling from the inside. This girl had bewitched him body and soul, and he couldn't get her out of his thoughts.

He grabbed the base of his cock and his fist began to move slowly up and down, his other hand pressed against the wall. He thought back to the incredible connection they had shared on the beach, to Rey's lips tasting his in the parking lot, to her body pressed against him, to her adorable little breasts that he wanted to devour, and he felt himself grow as hard as steel against his palm. His hand picked up its pace; the excitement was building, and so was the pleasure. All of a sudden it was no longer his hand but Rey's that held and caressed him. He started moaning and accelerated the movement of his fist even more. The fire in his belly grew as he imagined Rey taking him into her mouth. His panting became louder as he neared his crest, heart almost pounding out of his chest. Suddenly his cock throbbed in his palm. Ben let out an almost animal moan as he ejaculated against the shower tile. With his brain flooded with endorphins and his body still electrified, he leaned his forehead against the ceramic tile and tried to calm his breathing.

Thank God his spinal injuries had no impact on his sexual function. He had already seen this when he was still at Whitegrove, when Rey Kanata had haunted his dreams for the first time.

The feeling of completion was delicious. His muscles relaxed under the water raining down from the ceiling, and the last traces of his pleasure slid down the wall and disappeared into the drain at his feet.

He had to see Rey again, as soon as possible. To talk to her, kiss her, touch her.

Ben got out of the shower, dried himself off, and put on a T-shirt and loose sports pants. His phone began to vibrate from where he'd placed it on his dresser, signalling an incoming text message. His heart lurched when he saw Rey's name on the screen:

"I miss you too."

She had signed off with a heart, and he smiled again, sighing with delight.

An hour later, Ben was sitting comfortably on his couch with his laptop resting on his lap. He had just found the clinic's hours of operation on the Brookdale Hospital website when someone rang the doorbell.

Since he knew Mr. Artoo was screening visitors on the bottom floor of the building, Ben guessed it must be Leia, who had promised to stop by just before her Senate meeting.

Ben got up to open the door and was surprised to discover that it wasn't his mother standing there.

"Luke?" he blurted out.

"Hello Ben," his uncle answered.

The two men stood face to face for a long moment, staring at each other in silence. It had been six years since they'd broken off all contact.

Luke had not changed. He still had that sharp, intense gaze that immediately commanded respect, the same as Leia's. His hair was just a bit longer, his face more tanned, and he now sported a magnificent salt and pepper beard. He was dressed simply, with a light linen shirt, canvas pants, well-worn boots and was wearing a bunch of multicolored pearl and seed bracelets on his wrist, certainly brought back from his stay in India. He was holding a folder filled with papers in his hand.

"Your doorman let me come up, but perhaps it's a bad time."

Still in a state of shock, Ben hesitated for a few seconds before opening the door wider.

"No, I was just surfing the net a bit. You're welcome to come in."

He accompanied his invitation with a wave of his hand, and Luke entered the apartment. Ben pointed toward the living room and offered him coffee.

"Sure, I'd love some," Luke replied, taking a seat on the sofa.

Ben returned from the kitchen with two steaming mugs, handing one to his uncle.

"Thank you," Luke said, nodding his head. "To be honest, I wasn't sure whether you'd open the door for me or not."

"I didn't even look through the peephole. I thought it was Leia," Ben retorted, sitting back in one of the chairs.

Six years earlier, he and Luke had parted ways in shouting and resentment. His uncle had moved to the West Coast, dividing his time between writing screenplays and traveling the world. Seeing him here in New York was very unexpected.

"I'm glad to see that things are going much better with your mother," Luke ventured.

"It's very recent," Ben replied.

"Your relationship with your parents has always been complicated. Being Leia and Han's son hasn't been easy, I'll give you that."

"What relationship? They were never around."

"Ben…"

"You know it's true," the actor snapped as Luke lowered his head to examine the pattern on the carpet.

"They tried to combine their careers with family life. With varying degrees of success."

"They always wanted to decide for me what my life should be, and I told them a hundred times that I was not Anakin."

Luke pursed his lips. He didn't quite seem to agree.

"You're demanding. You have a rare sensitivity that you try to hide under a gruff facade. You're anxious, intelligent, and passionate. You are more like your grandfather than you think. And above all, you have an exceptional talent for acting, just like him. That's why, when your mother tried everything she could to dissuade you from following in his footsteps, I already knew it was a lost cause. I knew it as soon as I saw you play Oliver Twist in that play in elementary school. You were destined to be a great actor, Ben. And we were afraid."

"Afraid? But of what?"

Luke continued in a deep, calm voice.

"Leia and I were just kids when your grandfather was spotted by the big boss of the prestigious Empire Artists Management agency, Sheev Palpatine. He was performing in a small play written by one of his friends, and Palpatine entrusted him to the care of his right-hand man at the time, Snoke. Allan landed him his first major role, and his success was immediate. Dazzling even. Prestigious shoots followed one after the other, and the evenings were all filled with drunken partying. Your grandfather lost his way. After alcohol, he moved on to cocaine, and we watched helplessly as he spiraled downward."

"But why would they think the same thing would happen to me?" Ben protested. It was completely absurd.

Luke raised his head and stared at him with his piercing blue eyes.

"You were young and ambitious. Impulsive and rebellious. Full of anger."

Ben let out a wry chuckle.

"I know, I know..." Luke sighed. "You had reason to be. But now you know the movie world as well as I do. It's a jungle sometimes. And it only takes one or two bad encounters for everything to go wrong. Leia and I adored our father and she never really got over his death. There was no way she was going to let the same thing happen to you. So yes, our fear was irrational, but very real."

Ben had already heard these words from his parents when he told them that he was going to replace Luke with Snoke.

"So Leia asked me to become your agent, to 'look after' you. Luckily, you accepted. I was glad that you didn't want to use the Skywalker name to make a place for yourself in the world. I watched you struggle a little bit with the casting process and I thought maybe you would get bored, and that you'd realize that being a lawyer would give you more stability. But it was a waste of time. You wanted it all and you wanted it now. You're an exceptional actor, Ben. And everyone soon realized that. So I did something absolutely stupid: I tried to take control of your career. Snoke had just set up his own talent agency, and I could see him already sniffing around you. I kept directing you towards secondary roles because I wanted you to gradually discover the profession, and I deliberately kept certain scripts from you because I knew they'd make your career take off for good. I wanted to impose my choices on you and restrain you. And the irony is that you turned to Allan, and I lost my only nephew all these years."

Ben's throat tightened and Luke resumed.

"You have the right to blame your parents. But I'm also responsible. I shouldn't have let myself be influenced by Leia. And that's why I'm here today, to apologize. I didn't support you as I should have. You were right, and I'm sorry, Ben."

At those words, Ben raised an eyebrow. He really wasn't expecting this and was a bit at a loss for words. The sincerity he felt in his uncle's words was touching and healing. After all this time spent resenting the whole world, especially after what had happened with Snoke, the resentment and anger were gone. For good.

"Why did you wait to tell me all this?" he wondered aloud.

This time Luke held his gaze.

"Because I wasn't proud of myself. Or maybe I was too proud."

"I wish you and Mom had trusted me."

"We should have."

Ben's eyes teared up a little and he suddenly had the strange feeling of finally being rid of an invisible weight that had been pressing down on his chest for too long.

"Allan's an asshole," he declared. "You were right about that."

Luke refrained from answering. He simply gave his nephew a sad smile and Ben was grateful. Han's death and his own accident had changed many things in his life. He had matured. He now understood that his parents, for all their faults, were not the worst parents in the world, just as his uncle had not deliberately made himself Ben's enemy. They all cared about him, and the time had come to heal this breach.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're better," Luke said.

"You know Amilyn. She made sure that I've been pampered like a prince."

"I'm not surprised about that. Amilyn is a sweetheart."

"She's missed you very much," Ben added with a touch of mischief.

"I've missed her, too," Luke replied.

The two men took a sip of coffee together while exchanging a knowing glance, something they hadn't done in ages. The atmosphere finally relaxed for good and Ben asked Luke about his time in India. Then he finally pointed to the folder on his uncle's lap.

"What's that?"

"Oh, this…"

Luke put the documents on the coffee table.

"Believe it or not, I'm going into production. My friend Mace Windu is directing Milford Tilson's play 'Don't Show That.'"

A gleam suddenly flickered in Ben's eyes. It was one of his favorite plays and his uncle knew it. In fact, a small smirk graced Luke's face as he slid the folder towards his nephew with his fingertips.

"I'd like to know if you would be interested in the role of Bale," he announced.

Ben's mouth opened and closed several times without a single word coming out for a few moments.

"So not only do you show up at my house after six years to do your mea culpa, but you also offer me a job?" he finally managed to articulate.

"That's it," Luke replied simply before taking another swig of his coffee.

Ben couldn't believe his ears. He was both intrigued and excited.

A play.

Why not, after all?

Especially this one.

Getting back in the saddle with this project wasn't necessarily a bad idea.

"Have you noticed that I have a big scar on my face right now?"

"It gives you a little bit of a fierce and wild look. It's perfect for the role."

Ben continued to stare at his uncle, who was calmly finishing up his coffee.

"Who'll play the part of Lana?" asked the actor.

"Zorii Bliss."

"Zorii's already signed on?"

"Yep."

"When is the premiere?"

"We're on a tight schedule. First performance at the Hudson Theater in two months."

Ben ran a hand through his hair, his brain spinning at full speed. When his little jaw tic made its appearance and his thumb started tapping against his mug, Luke knew he had won.

"Mace wants you bad. And I couldn't agree with him more. You'll be a fantastic 'Bale,'" he said.

"I need to discuss this with Monica Mothma, my new agent."

"She's already received our proposal," Luke replied.

"But how? I just signed with her this morning!"

"I may have been on a spiritual retreat in Rajasthan for six months, but I still have connections in the business. So? What do you say?"

Ben hadn't felt this excited in a very long time and he couldn't hide his satisfaction anymore. So he sat up in his seat and extended his hand to his uncle.

"I'm in."

Luke leaned towards him in turn and returned his handshake firmly with a huge smile on his face.

OoooooO


	9. Chapter 9

After spending two days at the stud farm having a good time with her friends and her grandmother, Rey had launched headlong into her search for a place to live in New York. By Sunday afternoon, she'd gone through all her contacts on social networks and looked through thousands of ads on rental websites. But then on Monday morning, Gwendoline Phasma had called her.

Her great-uncle Arthur was to be placed in a retirement home and the old man's daughter, Jane, wanted to quickly rent out his apartment. Gwen had therefore immediately thought of Rey.

It was a charming, refurbished two-room apartment, partially furnished and equipped, located in the heart of Carroll Gardens exactly 24 minutes drive from Brookdale Hospital. Gwen's cousin announced a fairly decent rent considering the location, and Rey had jumped at the opportunity. As a thank you, she'd even promised the surgeon that she would buy her all the pizzas she wanted at Lucali* for the next three months.

Mrs. Jackson, her landlord in Greenwich, had no objection to Rey signing her current lease over to her colleague Charlie, knowing that he was returning to his position at Whitegrove.

So Rey had pressed Rose and Poe into service to help her move on Wednesday morning. After loading mattresses, books, clothes, and all her decorations into Maz's pickup truck, she was able to spend her first night in her new cozy little nest.

Everything had happened so fast. She couldn't believe it. Ben had texted her several more times and even called her to tell her how happy he was to have her near Brooklyn Heights. He'd also told her about his conversation with his Uncle Luke and his crazy decision to work with him again on a new theater project. He seemed so excited that Rey immediately felt happy and proud of him. He was going to be very busy over the next few weeks with rehearsals and preparations for the play, but he had reiterated his urgent desire to see her again, and asked her to save her Saturday night for him if possible. Of course she had accepted, her hands suddenly clammy and stars in her eyes.

Today was Thursday, and she'd started her shift at the clinic feeling light-hearted and more motivated than ever. Ben had even sent her a little message of encouragement that she'd received as she got out of her car.

She'd been seeing patients nonstop all day long, and now, at 5:00 p.m., she was exhausted. She was chatting at the reception desk with Carmen, the secretary, when the clinic door opened and Ben Solo entered the small waiting room. The few remaining patients, busy checking their phones, raised their heads simultaneously and looked at him, eyes widening in surprise. The actor was walking around without glasses or a cap, and his appearance was bound to cause a sensation - plus he was holding a strange long package, wrapped in metallic gift wrap with a big red bow on top.

Just as astonished as they were, Rey watched him walk towards the counter, giving friendly nods to the people who had recognized him.

Did he always go around like this, without a bodyguard or anything like that? The young woman immediately focused her attention on the actor's approach - it was hard to forget her professional training - to see that everything looked fine. His posture was good and his movements as smooth as they'd been during their last session togetherat Whitegrove. He was also as tall and incredibly sexy as ever.

"Hey!" Rey exclaimed, finally regaining the use of speech, her heart about to beat itself out of her chest.

"Good evening, Miss Kanata. I was afraid you'd already left."

The greeting had been accompanied by a little smirk and Rey rushed to play the game.

"Good evening, Mr. Solo. No, as you can see I'm... still here."

Carmen, mouth hanging open and looking completely bewildered, was contemplating the scene from her desk. Ben Solo, the star of "Galactic Wars" himself, had just arrived at the Brookdale Clinic. It was surreal.

Rey noticed that more and more phones in the waiting room were pointing in their direction, but Ben didn't seem to care. He continued to gaze at her, smiling. Suddenly she had a crazy urge to kiss him and she thought she could read in his dark eyes that he wanted to kiss her too. But it wasn't a good idea - not in front of all these people with their cell phones.

"I'm not going to stay long," he announced, as if he'd read her mind. "I just came to bring a little something for Ethan."

He then handed the package to Rey, who took it.

"I know that he lives in the neighborhood, that he had been to the clinic before, so I thought maybe you have his parents' number here."

"We have it, yes," confirmed the young woman.

"Well, then, do you think it would be possible for you to contact them so that they can come and pick it up here? Or I could also have it sent to his house, if you were willing to give me his address?"

Rey weighed the box in her hands for a few seconds and suddenly her eyes lit up. She had just realized what was inside.

"No… Don't tell me it's…"

"His is broken," confirmed Ben with an adorable little grin.

In a split second, Rey felt desire wash over her.

"I'll take care of it, no problem. Ethan is going to be over the moon!"

"Great, thank you. I put a little note inside."

The actor then glanced around the lobby. Behind him, the murmurs had grown louder, the amateur photographers were no longer hiding, and Carmen was now staring at them with a dreamy look on her face. It was time to leave.

"I'll call you tonight, okay?" he murmured and Rey felt her cheeks warm as she nodded.

Ben then turned and walked across the hall again, but several people in the waiting room asked him to take selfies and sign autographs. He willingly agreed, exchanged a few words with them, and then thanked them kindly before slipping away.

"That guy is a dream…" stammered Carmen, who had just come out of her daze.

Eyes still glued on the front door, Rey hugged the package tightly against herself with a big smile.

"Yes, he is."

OoooooO

Rey weaved her way through cardboard boxes, toothbrush in her mouth, cursing the damn zipper of her boot that was still stuck. She'd finally managed to get her shoe on when she got to the bathroom and checked her makeup and hair for the hundredth time. She had put on a touch of eye shadow, a swipe of mascara on her lashes, and a veil of gloss on her lips. Not really an expert, she'd decided to keep it simple and light.

Her outfit was skinny jeans and a flowing emerald green blouse which, according to her friend Rose, who was the fashion consultant for the evening via FaceTime, complemented her skin tone beautifully and brought out the color of her eyes.

Hopefully her date with Ben wouldn't be in one of those fancy, stuffy restaurants where cocktail dresses and tuxedos were the order of the day. When she'd asked where he was planning to take her, the actor had answered that it was a simple, nice place, one of his favorites in Brooklyn Heights.

Rey arranged her collar and adjusted her cleavage a little more with a sigh. She should have pushed for more information, or at least checked out the level of restaurants in that area on Google Maps. But she hadn't had a minute to herself after receiving Ben's text message that afternoon offering to pick her up at home. Not knowing when she would be able to finish her shift at the clinic and how much time she would have to get ready, Rey preferred that they meet there. The meeting point was at the corner of Henry and State Streets, about a fifteen-minute walk from her new apartment.

Her heart was racing. She was both excited as hell and incredibly nervous. She thought back to what had happened in the clinic waiting room the day before and what Rose had told her at the stud farm. Going out in public with Ben Solo would have consequences. She might end up in the spotlight and her quiet little life would be turned upside down, at least for a while.

She quickly put the thought out of her mind and took a deep breath. She couldn't wait to see Ben again. Yet she couldn't help but think that despite the mess that still reigned in her living room, she should have invited him to dinner here instead. It would have been torture not to throw herself at him before dessert, but at least the two of them would have been alone together, in complete privacy.

Shit. Now she had absolutely indecent images in her head.

On the edge of the sink her cell phone chimed.

«Hi, how would you like to have coffee with me tomorrow afternoon? I'm leaving in three days and I miss the little coffee shop we used to go to in the West Village. In friendship of course.»

Her feeling of euphoria suddenly receded. It was a message from Finn. He had signed off with a smile emoji, and Rey stared at her phone for a moment, frowning. She wasn't sure what to think of the invitation and she didn't have time for it anyway.

So she went back into the living room, looked at the clock hanging on the wall and let out a curse. It was already 7:50 p.m. and she was supposed to meet Ben at 8:00. She grabbed her bag, stuffed her phone inside, put on her coat, took her keys, and stormed out of her apartment.

Rey arrived at the agreed-upon intersection a little out of breath, having made the trip at a jog. She was ten minutes late, and when she saw Ben he was chatting on the sidewalk with a beautiful woman with long curly light brown hair and cat eyes.

"Okay Ben, I think the one you've been waiting for is finally here," declared the stranger when Rey walked up to them.

"Good evening," she greeted them both. "I'm so sorry for being late."

Ben gave her a big smile.

"No problem at all. This is Zorii Bliss, my co-star in 'Don't Show That.' Zorii, this is Rey Kanata."

The two women shook hands and exchanged the usual pleasantries.

"Zorii and I just got out of rehearsal, and she offered to give me a ride," Ben explained.

"Yes, and I am going to leave you here because I'm running late too," she replied. "I have an appointment with my other half in SoHo, and then we're going to hit the dance floor until dawn! I have a feeling I'm going to pay for it tomorrow, but oh well!"

Zorii was indeed ready to party. Under her long black coat, she wore a gorgeous sequined dress, expensive heels, and… Oh my god… was that a real diamond bracelet on her wrist?

"See you Monday, Ben," she said, kissing the actor on the cheek. "Rey, I'm so happy to meet you. Have fun, you two!" she added before rushing into the sports coupe parked right in front of them.

"The restaurant is just a few feet away. Are you ready to go?" Ben asked, putting his hand against Rey's back.

"Lead the way," she answered, savoring the soft shiver which went down her spine.

***********

"Fierce and wild, that's what he said," Ben laughed.

"Your uncle really said that? Well… I kind of agree with him," Rey replied in a mischievous tone.

She then brought her fork to her mouth for another bite of her dish.

Everything was perfect. Ben was perfect.

He had made a reservation at a small, cozy restaurant just two blocks from where they'd agreed to meet. The atmosphere was charming and friendly. There weren't many tables, and since the actor was a regular, the owner, Jamie, had set them up in a quiet corner away from prying eyes.

Rey had immediately felt at ease here, and now she was laughing heartily. The food was divine, the wine was delicious, and Ben looked even more handsome than the day before. Just like her, he was dressed casually. His eyes were shining and a few locks of still-wet hair were falling over his eyes. Rey couldn't help but stare at him, butterflies fluttering once again in her belly. Ben's deep voice telling her about his day yesterday was spellbinding, and seeing him moisten his lips as he spoke made her feverish.

"More wine?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Rey answered.

She had only drunk half a glass so far, but she already felt like she was drunk. Drunk on him.

"All right, now it's your turn to tell me what's been going on with you since we last saw each other!" said the actor.

Rey was getting ready to tell him about her week when her phone chimed with a notification.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot to turn it off."

Embarrassed, she rummaged through her bag and unlocked the screen to see that she had just received another text from Finn.

«If you're free tonight (or tomorrow night), instead of coffee, can we go out for a drink? I'd really like to see you again before I go.»

Oh my God… Couldn't he leave her in peace?

Pursing her lips in annoyance, Rey switched the phone to vibrate mode and apologized again before resuming her conversation with Ben.

She told him about her move and her new routine at the clinic, as well as about the party planned for her grandmother's birthday. Then they talked about Ben's return to New York and Rey said she was looking forward to seeing him on Broadway.

"Are you nervous?" she asked.

"I'm scared to death. But I love it, that feeling. And above all I love this play. I acted in it once before, at Julliard."

Ben looked happy. It was so nice to see.

"Did you know that I was also in a play in high school?" the young woman confessed.

The corners of Ben's mouth lifted up and he leaned back in his chair, looking interested.

"How about that! Does Rey Kanata have other hidden talents?"

The young woman chuckled before rolling her eyes.

"Actually, I did it for a boy I had a crush on in the 10th grade. His name was William, he played lacrosse, was first in his class, and was a member of the theater club. So, when the club decided to put on 'Romeo and Juliet' that year, I auditioned for the role of Juliet in hopes that I'd be able to spend more time with him, and that he'd finally notice me."

"So did you play Juliet?" Ben asked animatedly.

"No. Heather Tobbins got the part. I got the role of the nurse." Rey chuckled again, immediately followed by Ben.

"I'm so sorry," he lamented. "What happened next with William?"

"Well, despite everything, I mustered up the courage after the performance to ask him if he wanted to be my date to his cousin's wedding the following weekend. His aunt knew my grandparents and had invited us. I knew he still didn't have a girlfriend so I went for it."

Ben listened with a smile on his face. He moved closer and put his elbows on the table, his chin propped up on both fists. Rey held his gaze. If she hadn't been sitting down, her knees would probably have started shaking. The effect this man had on her was incredible.

"He wasn't stupid enough to refuse, I hope?" he asked.

The timbre of his voice was deep and velvety, and Rey felt her heart begin to race once again.

"To my surprise, he accepted. So I bought a nice dress and fancy shoes that hurt my feet like hell, and spent two hours at the hairdresser. Me, the tomboy with the perpetually skinned knees... I even put on nail polish! I found William there, looking sharp in a three-piece suit. We spent the meal laughing and chatting. After the bride and groom had their first dance, we got up and danced like crazy for a good two hours with all the other young people. Then the DJ started to play slow music and William excused himself to go to the bathroom. I was pumped up, legs wobbly, determined to ask him to dance if he didn't do it when he came back. I was also hoping to get my first real kiss that night. I wanted everything to go the way I had dreamed of so many times."

Ben remained silent, drinking in her words. Rey was fiddling with the handle of her knife as the memories came to the surface.

"So I went to the DJ and asked him if he could play my favorite song of the moment."

"What was it?" asked the actor.

"A Lifehouse song, 'You and me,'" answered Rey, smiling as if she was reliving the scene in her head. "We'd agreed on a signal. As soon as William reappeared, the DJ was going to play my song. And that's what he did. All the other couples started dancing. I was standing in the middle of the dance floor waiting. Then, looking around the room, I thought I spotted William in a dark corner near the stage. I moved closer to see what he was up to and caught him kissing Heather Tobbins, the 'Juliet' of the play. So I left and walked back to my grandma's farm, crying, and tossed my high heels into a ditch along the way."

"Just as I was saying: he's an idiot," Ben blurted out, shaking his head in annoyance.

"Today he's married with four children and lives in Pennsylvania," Rey added in a tone that was both amused and melancholy. "And you, tell me: I bet you must have broken a ton of girls' hearts when you were a teenager."

"Kelly Baker…" Ben announced with a smirk on his face. "I made her a little figure out of modeling clay in kindergarten. I even added a hat and a bow tie. I was madly in love with her. When I gave it to her, she threw it on the floor and kicked it. I cried for a whole week, refused to go back to school for months, and, to be honest, I don't think I ever really got over it."

They both started laughing at their misadventures and the atmosphere around them suddenly seemed to heat up. The actor's hand moved slowly over the tablecloth to brush against Rey's, and her whole body shuddered. When Ben's gaze caught and held hers, she tried not to be swept off her feet.

"There is no age to fall in love," she whispered as their fingers intertwined.

"No, there's no age," Ben repeated as an old country tune, the clink of cutlery against plates, and hushed conversations echoed softly in the background.

*****

When Ben and Rey got up to leave, Jamie came to warn them that a guy with a huge lens camera had been waiting across the street for a while, hidden behind a big SUV. Rey felt Ben tense next to her

"Do you have a door in the back?" she asked.

Jamie answered with a smile and gestured toward the kitchen with his chin. Thirty seconds later, the two young people escaped through a small alley that opened onto Hicks Street, checking that no one was following them.

"I'm sorry," Ben said when they were finally out of sight of the restaurant.

He seemed really annoyed and Rey rushed to reassure him.

"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault."

The air was quite mild despite the late hour as they started walking along the street, past the wrought-iron railings and red brick houses so common in that part of Brooklyn. They passed a few people who were out walking their dogs or, like them, just out for an evening stroll. But in the half-light of the street, punctuated only by the halo of lampposts, no one gave them a second glance.

Rey didn't want the evening to end, letting herself be carried along by Ben's footsteps. However, after a while, she finally realized that the harbor lights were getting closer and the Promenade was just ahead.

"Wait," she said, stopping suddenly. "Are we…"

"On my street, yes," Ben replied with a smile. "So now, I can issue a very cliched invitation for you to come up and have a nightcap in my apartment, or... I can offer to call you a cab."

Rey stepped towards him and looked up into his eyes. He was tall, he smelled divinely good, and she could no longer contain her arousal.

"Let's go to your place," she breathed out, moving closer and closer until she was almost pressed against him.

Ben's hand came to caress Rey's cheek and the young woman sighed, closing her eyes at his contact.

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay," he whispered, leaning imperceptibly towards her. "Problem is, I don't know if I'm going to be able to stop myself from kissing you here and now in the middle of the sidewalk. I've been dying to do so ever since you walked onto Henry Street."

"Then do it," she replied.

Ben's huge fingers slipped down the back of her neck and pressed gently to pull her to him. And that's when her damn phone started vibrating in her purse again.

_Shit...Not now._

Ben stopped his gesture and Rey wanted to scream in frustration.

Was Finn still calling her? Regardless, the damn phone wouldn't stop buzzing, and Ben finally put his forehead against hers and laughed.

"I'm turning it off," grumbled Rey as she grabbed her phone with the firm intention of not allowing anything to further interrupt their evening.

She was about to switch it to silent mode when the impressive number of missed calls on the screen made her wince. Lulled by the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant and Ben's words, she'd heard absolutely nothing. Poe had left three messages at 9 p.m. Rose had left eight, and it was she who'd been trying to call just then.

An alarm immediately went off in Rey's mind, and she apologized once again as she pulled herself away from Ben's arms. She hit the redial button and Rose picked up the phone on the first ring.

"Rose? It's me."

"Rey! Finally! I've been trying to reach you all evening!"

The young woman knew by the sound of Rose's voice that something was wrong.

"What's going on?" she panicked suddenly.

"I'm with Poe at the hospital. It's Kaydel," Rose gasped. "She's hemorrhaging. She's in surgery right now."

Rey felt all the warmth leave her body. She took another step back, then two, and Ben watched her with growing concern. Rose continued to talk on the phone, but her words were now struggling to make their way through to Rey's brain. She understood, however, that Kaydel and Poe were actually visiting a cousin in Midland Beach for the weekend, so her friends were in the Staten Island Hospital right now.

Rey promised to be there in less than an hour.

Her evening with Ben was over.

OoooooooO

When Rey burst into the waiting room of the obstetric emergency room, Rose was pacing alone by the coffee machine. Her eyes and nose were red, and Rey immediately threw herself into her arms.

"Forgive me Rose," she begged, "I didn't hear my phone. How is Kaydel? Where's Poe? And the twins, are they…"

The swinging door at the back of the room suddenly opened and Poe appeared on the threshold, in tears and with his hands covering his mouth.

Time seemed to stop suddenly and the two friends also stopped breathing.

"She's fine," he finally blurted out between a nervous laugh and a sob, looking at each of them in turn.

Rey thought her legs would give way under the shock of the emotions coursing through her at that moment. She then silently praised all the gods of the universe as she swooped down on her friend to take him in her arms.

"She's fine, and the babies too," he repeated several times, his face now buried in her neck. "I was so scared of losing them, damn it, so scared…"

"I know, I know..." Rey whispered against his ear. "It's all over. Rose and I are here. We'll stay with you."

Rose hastened to join them and the three friends stayed like this for a long time, crying with relief and hugging each other in the middle of the waiting room.

OoooO

_***Lucali: A famous pizzeria in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood in Brooklyn.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arghhhhh.... please be nice with me. The twins and Kaydel are OK !!!!!! Your predictions for the babies names ? (it's a boy and a girl)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone.

"Look at this tiny nose! And those little fingers! Oh my God, Frances is so cute!"

Rose was rocking the little girl in her arms while Rey sat in a chair by the bed with the second baby. Poe, looking tender, watched them as he stroked Kaydel's hair. The poor thing was still pale and groggy, but she'd insisted on introducing the twins to her friends just as soon as the doctor had authorized visits.

"Rian just smiled at me!" Rey exclaimed.

Just like Rose, she was already in love with the baby cuddled up next to her.

"I'm not sure babies a few hours old are capable of doing that intentionally, Rey. But I'm willing to believe that my son inherited my charming side," Poe bragged.

"I just hope they inherit everything else from Kaydel!" Rose snorted, laughing.

The sun's rays filtered through the window and bathed the room in light. It had been a trying night, straining them all to the breaking point, but everything had worked out fine in the end and the Damerons were now parents. Despite the fatigue, they radiated happiness and Rey suddenly felt envious of them. She was especially happy for Poe who, like her, had lost his father and mother at a very young age and had always dreamed of starting a big family.

"You did a good job. They are absolutely perfect. I'm so happy for you," she breathed, suddenly letting herself be overcome by emotion.

Her voice had trembled slightly as she'd spoken those last words, and she could now feel her eyes brimming with tears. She was so relieved. She had been absolutely terrified, for Kaydel and for the babies.

Poe got up from the bed and went over to her. He put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close.

"And I'm happy to have you both," he replied before kissing Rey on the forehead and winking at Rose.

Rey savored this almost brotherly embrace, while Kaydel's soft, slightly hoarse voice rose from the bed.

"Yes, thank you so much. You guys are the best."

"Yes, we are..." Rose grumbled, equally moved. "In any case, don't you dare do that to us ever again!"

"I can reassure you, Tico, that we're going to wait a while before doing this again," Poe joked.

The two young women stayed to talk for a few more hours and finally went home separately.

Coming out of the elevator, Rey walked to her apartment on autopilot. Her eyelids seemed to weigh a ton, but she miraculously managed to insert her key into the lock and open her door. She ditched her shoes in the middle of the hallway, dragged herself into the living room, and dropped her full weight onto the sofa. Her neck was sore from spending the night half asleep in the hospital waiting room, and she realized that she had barely eaten anything since her meal with Ben at the restaurant. Her bag was lying next to her and she grabbed her phone inside. Her finger slid across the screen, and she sat up abruptly when she saw that the actor had left a new message.

**BEN: Sorry I couldn't answer earlier. I spent the day with my mother and my phone died. Relieved to hear that your friend is doing well. You must be exhausted. I'll call you tomorrow. I miss you. Ben.**

He had been so sweet the evening before, offering to drive her to Staten Island himself. She had kindly refused, preferring to go back home and take her own car. So they'd returned to Caroll Gardens in his Ford Falcon Futura 50.

"Thanks again. I'm so sorry," she'd stammered as she got out of the car.

"Go, go!" he'd ordered, his face serious and his eyes full of concern.

She'd tried to reach him earlier this afternoon, but her calls had all gone straight to voicemail.

She was exhausted, yes, but she needed to hear the sound of his voice. She pressed his name in the contacts and brought the phone to her ear. After just one ring, Ben picked up the phone.

"Rey, is everything all right?"

The young woman began to smile.

"Yes, it feels good to finally talk to you."

"I'm so sorry, my phone was dead and..."

"Well, it doesn't matter," the young therapist cut him off, leaning against the cushions and tilting her head back.

"So it's true? Is everyone all right?"

"Yes. The babies are adorable. And they'll keep Kaydel at the hospital for a few more days."

"Okay."

"By the way, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Are you kidding? I've been thinking about you all day."

Rey's heart instantly turned into a big, soft marshmallow.

"I wanted you to know that even though our date ended a little too abruptly for my liking, I still had a wonderful time with you last night. So thank you," she replied.

"Me too, I had a great evening."

The timbre of his voice was captivating, his words reassuring. And so, despite deep exhaustion and her desperate need to sleep, she felt a burning desire begin to bloom low in her belly. She just wanted him to be here on this couch curled up against her, to breathe in his scent, to feel his breath on her skin, to be able to touch him and be touched in return. She wanted to tell him, but she didn't dare.

"Maybe we could schedule another date?" Ben added, almost shyly.

"Let's do it," Rey answered with a small laugh.

"The problem is that I have a very busy agenda this week. I'm having lunch with my agent tomorrow at noon, then dinner with a producer tomorrow night, a photoshoot on Wednesday, and I have to go to Florida on Friday for the opening of a new 'Galactic Wars' attraction at a big amusement park. I won't be back until Sunday."

"Wow, what a schedule!"

"Because of my accident, I've managed to avoid this kind of thing until now, but I can't escape it any more since it's in my contract. Are you free Wednesday evening?"

"I work all day, and in the evening I have to meet my grandmother to finalize the preparations for her birthday party. The birthday girl has decided she wants a group of musicians to liven up the evening!" she laughed. "Basically, there are still a lot of things to take care of."

"Thursday evening then?"

"Thursday's fine. At my place?"

She was scheduled to work the next day, but she didn't care. She had no intention of waiting any longer. She didn't know how far they'd go that evening. She hoped they would exchange more than just a kiss this time, and she blushed just thinking about it.

"Your place sounds perfect."

"I should warn you, I'm not as good as the chef at Jamie's restaurant, but I promise to do my best."

"You know, I'm a pretty good cook. Maybe we could work together? And I'll take care of bringing the wine."

She wanted to jump in her car, drive to his apartment, and show him how much she wanted things to finally happen between them. If only she wasn't about to fall asleep right here on the sofa, still fully dressed!

"Cooking together is fine with me."

"Great! Well then, good night, Rey. I'm looking forward to Thursday."

"Good night, Ben, I'm looking forward to it too."

OooO

Amilyn's office, which she shared with a colleague in Manhattan and where she worked two days a week, had a breathtaking view of Central Park. By the end of March, the trees were beginning to show the colors of spring, the lawns were regaining their brilliant green, and the cherry trees were all in bloom. Sitting comfortably in her huge chair on Monday morning, the psychologist had been watching Ben for a good 15 minutes.

He was standing in front of the panoramic window, and in ten years of therapy with him, it was certainly the first time she had seen him so talkative and relaxed during a session.

"I'd forgotten how much I love the character of Bale. I still remember all the lines I learned at Julliard when I first performed the play. It's crazy, I feel like it was yesterday!"

The young man then turned towards her, his face radiant and his hands in motion.

"Mace did a great job directing and I love working with Zorii. As for the others, I didn't know Greg Thanisson and D.J. Hacker, but we hit it off right away. Anyway, I'm excited and I really want this production to be a success."

"I can see that," smiled the psychologist, rolling her pen between her fingers. "When I called Leia this morning, she told me that you had lunch together yesterday and that Luke was there."

"Yes," Ben confirmed simply. "Do you want to know if I still want to kick his ass when I see him?"

"I do indeed want to know."

Ben chuckled and came to sit down on the couch facing her.

"As I told Luke, I don't want to live like that anymore, with resentment and regret."

"I'm glad you two finally worked things out. He needed it just as much as you did."

Amilyn started to jot a few notes down in her notebook, and Ben grabbed the cup of coffee from the coffee table in front of him.

"You do know that my uncle hasn't changed his address?" he asked casually.

He took a sip of coffee, and the corner of Amilyn's lips rose slightly.

"May I remind you that I'm the one who is supposed to be making innuendoes to get you to tell me what's in your heart. Speaking of heart... How are things going with Rey?"

Ben then told her about their misadventures over the weekend and announced their plans for Thursday night, and Amilyn smirked to herself as the tip of her pen slid back across the paper. She wasn't in the habit of patting herself on the back, but she had to admit that so far her plan was going well. Playing matchmaker was her favorite pastime when she wasn't trying to pry into other people's subconscious, and she had to admit that she was pretty good at it. (Wasn't Han and Leia's fabulous love story, after she had introduced them, ample proof of that?)

Here she had killed two birds with one stone. A few months earlier, Rey and Ben had both needed healing - in every sense of the word - and Amilyn had sensed that bringing them together would be a great idea. And she'd been right. Phase 1 of the confrontation followed by mutual taming had worked, phase 2 in which they were to fall madly in love with each other was a complete success, and phase 3...

Amilyn had a hunch that phase 3 was right on track.

OoooO

As expected, the beginning of the week had been rather busy for Rey. She'd finished unpacking her boxes and helped Maz with the final details for the party, all while working every day at the clinic.

The big day of her date with Ben had finally arrived, and Rey was in the process of completing her last patient's file on the computer at the reception desk when Rose came up behind her with a sigh.

"Well, that's it, I'm out of here. I just closed the front door and turned off the lights in all the rooms. Carmen will be back to work tomorrow as usual. How much longer are you going to be? Do you want me to wait for you?"

"No, it's okay, Rose, you can go. I'll just be five minutes."

"What time is Ben supposed to arrive at your house?"

"At seven thirty."

"Do you have the ginger and honey for the chicken recipe I gave you?"

"Yes, I have everything, don't worry."

"You bought fresh ginger, right? It has to be fresh to get the full aphrodisiac effect. Although you're both so smoking hot, you don't even need that to fan that flame!"

"Rose..."

"And for the raspberry chocolate lava cakes, it's just eight minutes in the oven at 400 degrees, don't forget!"

"Rose, it's okay, Ben and I will figure everything out! Now go or you'll be late for your movie night with Paige."

"Condoms!" exclaimed Rose. "You have condoms, I hope!"

Rey pretended to be offended, rolling her eyes. But that actually was the first thing she'd thought of while shopping the day before. She saw herself again in the pharmacy section, in front of the multitude of multicolored boxes wondering which "model" to pick... She had forgotten how much choice there was. The last time she'd used condoms was in the first few months of her relationship with Finn, a year earlier. Then she'd gone on the pill, and hadn't stopped since.

Textured for more sensation, flavoured with passion fruit, strawberry, or exotic fruits, glow in the dark, and even "extended pleasure" with a male desensitizer to help delay climax. It was crazy! A real puzzle! Not to mention all the different sizes!

Rey had chosen an ultra thin, wide model, because after all, didn't they say "big hands, big..."? (As long as the saying wasn't a lie!) She'd then continued shopping with her cheeks burning, trying to repress the salacious thoughts that had suddenly popped into her head (passion fruit flavor must be nice...), and also to concentrate on finding the ingredients she needed for their dinner (she needed eggplants... uh, not eggplants... ginger, that's right).

"Have fun at the movies, Rose! Don't drool too much over Armitage Hux, and kiss Paige for me," the young therapist replied with a smile.

"Call me tomorrow and tell me all about it, okay? I want to know everything!"

"I promise."

"Great! Hope you have fun too! Love you."

Rose slipped out the back door, and Rey went back to work. She was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. Excitement was building at the prospect of her impending date with Ben. It was six o'clock when she turned off the computer and was about to pick up her things from the practitioners' locker room when she heard someone pounding on the lobby door.

When she approached to see what it was about, she found two young boys outside the entrance. The larger one wore a pair of rollerblades tied around his neck. Encumbered by the bulky shoes, he was struggling to support the smaller boy, who was hopping on one foot. Rey could hear them arguing behind the glass.

"It's nothing, Harlan! I'm telling you it doesn't hurt that much! Besides, Mom's gonna yell at us if she finds out we went out on the street while she was at Miss McDermott's!"

But Harlan seemed way too scared to listen to his brother. When he saw Rey near the counter, in her blue scrubs and white sneakers, he realized that she worked there and looked imploringly at her, laying his hand flat against the glass.

"Ma'am, please! Please help us! My brother has just fallen and his knee's already swollen up to twice its normal size!"

Rey unlocked the door and invited the two kids into the waiting room.

Her shift was over. She had to go home now if she wanted everything to be ready in time for Ben's arrival. But her gaze immediately turned to the boy's swollen joint, and her initial intention of redirecting them to the nearest emergency room didn't last long when, almost on the verge of tears, the taller one repeated:

"Please, ma'am..."

Shit... she sighed mentally before putting her bag back on the floor.

So Rey spent the next half hour taking care of little Jackson Talbot's sprain, while his older brother waited sheepishly in a chair nearby. When Rey asked why they weren't wearing pads, Harlan replied that they couldn't afford them and that they'd found the rollerblades in a trash can. And Rey could see that these were indeed in poor condition. Despite the two kids' pleas, she contacted Loretta Talbot, a single mother who worked as a receptionist during the day and as a home care aide in the evening. The poor woman arrived fifteen minutes later, completely panicked, and Rey had to reassure her that her son was okay and that she wasn't going to call social services on them. Loretta thanked her with a hug, and Rey felt a little twinge of sadness as she watched the three of them leave the clinic with the pair of crutches she had provided Jackson.

She was now running through the parking lot towards her car. It was 6:45 p.m. and she was late. She unlocked the door and threw her bag on the passenger seat, but as she sat down behind the wheel she heard someone calling from behind her:

"REEEYYYYY!"

The young woman's hand tightened on the car door. She knew that voice very well.

She turned around slowly to find a wobbly Finn Storm leaning against one of the lampposts lining the road near the main entrance. Behind him was a taxi, the driver of which was also looking in her direction through the lowered passenger window.

"REEEEEYYYYY!" Finn shouted again, this time waving wildly at her with his arms.

The young man tried to walk down the sidewalk and almost tripped. The taxi driver, annoyed, then got out of his vehicle to shout in turn:

"Hey you! Would you mind taking care of this guy? And pay me as well, while you're at it! I've been carrying him all the way from Park Avenue, and he almost threw up in my car three times!"

_Shit, shit..._

"I can't believe this..." she let out as she slammed her door and walked back across the parking lot to join the two men.

She hadn't responded to the texts Finn had sent her. She had thought that he would understand that she was no longer interested, and that he'd let it go. So what the hell was he doing here, without her ever telling him that she was now working at Brookdale?

"He's completely drunk," the driver announced with a sneer as Rey arrived just in time to catch Finn, who was threatening once more to pass out in the shrubs along the roadside. "You at least know him, don't you? I don't want to leave you with him if the guy's a psychopath or whatever!"

"We both need to talk... yes, we need to talk..." stammered the young man, now clinging to her shoulder.

"Yes, it's fine, I know him," Rey sighed, feeling a surge of apprehension mixed with anger rising within her.

"He's lucky he ran into me and not one of those dishonest Uber assholes! Anyway, the fare is forty dollars."

Rey found Finn's wallet in the back pocket of his jeans, found some cash in it, and paid the driver, who got back into his cab. People passing them on the sidewalk were giving the young man distressed looks, so Rey decided to take him across the parking lot to her car. She grabbed his waist to hold him upright and forced him to move forward. Finn did not make it easy for her, to say the least. With his head against hers, Rey could smell his whisky-laden breath.

"For God's sake, Finn, what were you thinking, getting drunk like that? And what are you doing here?"

She didn't remember telling him about her new job in Brookdale. He must have called Whitegrove to find out where she was.

"I got the contract! Can you believe it? Five million dollars! And I'm going back to London tomorrow. So I celebrated with colleagues... And I thought to myself... I want... It would be nice to continue the evening with Rey... Because..."

"Come on Finn, make an effort, keep going," she grunted as she tried to make him turn left.

The car was only a few yards away, and Rey didn't really want to hear the rest of his answer. She knew that what he was about to say was not going to please her.

"Because I realized something, Rey... I think I'm still in love with you. And yet I know that I've ruined everything and that you don't want me anymore. And do you know how I know that? Because you haven't answered my texts..."

Rey opened the passenger side door without answering and pushed him inside.

"I just wanted us to spend some time together... like we used to. Because I miss you. I've acted like such a jerk. I let you down, Rey... if you only knew how much I regret it. I'm so sorry."

"Finn, look, we've already talked about this."

"I still love you, Rey. Please come with me to London. It's too lonely there."

"Finn, stop..." she replied, more and more exasperated. "It's over between us."

"Why didn't you even answer my texts? It's because of him, isn't it? Ben Solo, the fancy movie staaarrr ! He's the one you love now, isn't he?"

The young woman, who was about to close the door, suddenly froze.

"I saw the way you two looked at each other at the clinic," he sniffed. "Jesus Christ, Rey, I'm so sorry. I'm just a selfish, pushy jerk. I've ruined everything between us... You're a wonderful girl and I'm incapable of loving anyone properly. I always screw everything up..."

At this, Rey's shoulders slumped and the desire to toss Finn out of her car, leave him stranded right here in this parking lot and maybe run over him a few times for good measure, had vanished. Calling Rose for help would be pointless. She must be in the middle of the movie with her sister right now. No other taxi would want to pick him up in this state and take him back to his hotel, and it was out of the question for her to leave him here alone to spend the night outside. The only solution was to take him back herself. And that would take her at least a good two hours.

_Shit and double shit..._

Rey raised her head to look at the sky.

The first stars were beginning to appear on the yellow and blue shades of twilight, and the young woman realized that there was no point in checking the time any longer.

Damn it. What had she done to have such bad Karma?

Wearily, she grabbed her phone from her bag. She had to call Ben. He must already be about to leave his apartment to meet her at her place.

Hand on the door, she'd just started dialing the number when Finn leaned abruptly out of the car and spilled the entire contents of his stomach all over her immaculate sneakers.

OoooO

Leaning against the railing of his terrace, Ben raised a glass of wine to his lips.

Straight ahead, he could see the lights of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline. Above him was a blanket of stars in a cloudless sky.

His dinner at Rey's had fallen through at the last minute.

An emergency had come up at the clinic, she'd said before apologizing profusely on the other end of the phone. And just like that, the excitement he'd carried all day had completely deflated.

Ben would have laughed if he wasn't so disappointed. So he had opened the bottle of Pinot Noir that he'd bought for the occasion, and ordered Chinese.

When the evening wind got cooler, he decided to go back inside. He took a shower, put on a pair of pajama bottoms and a T-shirt, and finally settled down on his couch with the two new scripts that Monica Mothma had sent him in the morning: a first film by a young and apparently very promising director, and yet another blockbuster whose action took place in space. Would he find himself trapped in stuffy and uncomfortable costumes once again? Pity...

As he opened the script to start reading, his phone on the central kitchen island beeped with an incoming text message. Ben stood up with a sigh and unlocked his phone.

It was Josh, his assistant, telling him that his flight to Florida the next day had been moved up. The flight now departed at 7:30 a.m. instead of 9:00 a.m.

That's fine. Might as well go to bed then.

But just as he was about to put his phone down, another beep sounded and a message from Rey appeared on the screen.

**REY: Hey. It's me again.**

Surprised, Ben smiled and his fingers flew across the keyboard.

**BEN: Hey. I'm glad it's you.**

**REY: It's late. I hope I didn't wake you up?**

**BEN: No you didn't.**

**REY: Are you angry about tonight?**

Ben worked his jaw absentmindedly from side to side as he considered his response.

**BEN: Just disappointed to have been deprived of the pleasure of your company. I really wanted to see you.**

A few seconds went by, and Ben wondered if Rey was still online. Then the three little grey dots flashed again on the screen and the young woman's answer popped up.

**REY: Well, that's good because I'm actually outside in front of your building.**

***

Rey was standing in the middle of the sidewalk. She wasn't sure which building was Ben's so she waited, phone in hand. She had stopped in front of the garage door behind which she knew the actor's blue Ford Falcon was parked. Her heart was pounding and her hands were sweaty.

As soon as she'd pulled out of the lot at Brookdale, Finn had simply dozed off against the passenger side door and snored all the way back to his hotel. When they'd arrived at the Manhattan Inn, one of the bellhops had kindly helped her drag her sleeping ex-boyfriend to his room. She'd thanked the good man, and as the door closed behind him she'd already made her way to the small desk in the corner of the room to write a note to Finn.

_**Have a great trip back to London. I wish you all the best for the future.** _ _**Rey.** _

That would have to do. She was still a little angry, but she just wanted him to finally be able to move on, and she hoped the message was clear enough.

Then she'd got back in her car and drove home with the windows down and the radio on full blast.

It was while crossing the Brooklyn Bridge that she'd finally decided that no, Karma or Destiny or whatever Force rules the universe was not going to win tonight.

So she'd put on jeans, an AC/DC T-shirt, and a pair of sandals that she fortunately always kept in her gym bag, stowed her soiled sneakers in a plastic bag and her work clothes in the back of her trunk, and walked quickly out into the New York night onto Warren Street.

Now her car was parked a hundred yards away. Around her, the street was almost empty.

In her hand, her phone remained distressingly silent, and she began to panic.

But suddenly, a door to her left at the top of a staircase opened, and a dark-haired giant in pajama pants, a black T-shirt, and no shoes ran down the stairs looking for her.

Rey's mouth went dry. Her heart skipped a beat.

Ben's smile was huge when he finally saw her and went straight for her.

She had started to shiver and was about to speak when two huge arms suddenly embraced her and a greedy mouth pressed against hers. Rey closed her eyes and let herself be carried away.

She was in heaven, or maybe hell - because she could feel her blood boiling, her senses in turmoil, her skin ablaze. She opened her lips and met Ben's tongue with a sigh of ecstasy. Oh my God, it was so good.

A hand slid up against her cheek, wrapped around her jaw, passed over her neck and then up through her hair. She didn't know what to do anymore. She wanted to touch him too, but the one ounce of sanity left in her at that moment was screaming at her that it would be rather improper to do what she wanted to do to Ben Solo in the middle of the street.

When the actor finally released her to catch his breath, the only word she could utter was his first name, whispered against his lips like a promise.

"Come upstairs with me, please," he breathed out.

In response, Rey bit her lip and gave him a flirtatious look, then walked backwards towards the stairs, dragging Ben along with her. They went up together into the lobby of the building, passed Mr. Artoo's empty counter, and rushed into the elevator. When the doors opened on the top floor, they were pressed together again, Ben covering the young woman's neck with kisses, Rey clutching his hair, his shoulders.

The actor used his elbow to push open his door that had been left ajar, and Rey looked up for a moment to see the full expanse of his apartment. It was spacious and modern, and there was a terrace with a beautiful view of the promenade, the river, and the illuminated city.

She would enjoy it later.

Right now she only wanted one thing: for Ben to undress her and for her to undress him. She wanted to taste his skin, to feel him on her and inside her.

She had fantasized about this moment so many times - only now it was really happening. Ben Solo was all hers tonight. Her hands went under the cotton T-shirt, stroked his stomach and his waist, then moved up his back to brush the small bulge of the scar on his spine.

"Take this off," she ordered, and Ben soon found himself shirtless.

"Your turn," he replied, pulling the T-shirt with a portrait of the Young brothers over her head.

Their shirts were abandoned on the living room floor, along with her sandals.

They moved through the apartment, kissing passionately, until they finally reached the bedroom. Rey landed on the bed, panting, and immediately unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down until they bunched at her ankles. Ben finished removing them without taking his eyes off her for a second, and she soon found herself without underwear as well.

Oh my God, he was in such a hurry!

She wasn't complaining, though - she wanted to scream at him too, to hurry up. The sight of his impressive erection, visible through the thin fabric of his pants, pulled a triumphant smile from her.

Ben began to kiss her calves, moved up her thighs, and suddenly her entire sex was covered by a mass of dark hair and eager lips.

Rey struggled to realize what was happening to her for a moment, but soon her moans were echoing throughout the room as the muscles in her stomach tensed deliciously.

"God, you're soaked," Ben breathed against her drenched folds.

"And you are extremely talented," she said, laughing ecstatically and gasping.

Her clit was engorged and throbbing, her whole body quivering. Suddenly her hands gripped the sheets and her legs began to shake as she reached the edge of exploding. Oh yes, Karma could definitely go to hell tonight because Ben Solo was giving her masterful cunnilingus, and she was about to come fast and hard against his tongue.

"Ben, I'm going to..."

She didn't have time to finish her sentence. The orgasm surged over her like a tidal wave and she screamed her pleasure against her clenched fist.

It felt so overwhelming and she needed time to come down to Earth.

When she opened her eyes again, Ben was smiling up at her with a bit of a triumphant air. His gigantic shadow seemed to cover her whole body in the dim light of the room. She knew his anatomy by heart. Well, most of it - but now she wanted to discover everything.

"Take that off too," she purred as she pulled Ben's hips out of his cotton pants.

At last they were both completely naked and the exploration could begin again. They caressed each other for a long time, until Ben reached an arm over to his bedside table and pulled out a small silver packet.

"Let me do it," Rey said maliciously, grabbing the condom and pushing Ben to lie on his back.

She now had a breathtaking view of his superb erection and began to smile, noting that for Ben Solo, at least, the saying "Big hands..." did not lie. She tightened her fingers around his penis and pumped it once with her fist. Then the temptation was too strong and she took his beautiful cock in her mouth. Just the head of it to begin with, which she laved and circled with her tongue. She felt Ben completely at her mercy, his jaw clenched and his breath short. Suddenly he grabbed the back of her neck and gently accompanied her head movement as she descended lower and then slowly rose again.

"I can tell you now, I've dreamed about this so many times," he raved.

But Rey had already torn open the condom wrapper and was now unrolling the latex over Ben's length.

"So have I..." she whispered in his ear, gently straddling him. Ben whispered her name reverently once more as she sank down onto him, his cock finally seated deep inside her.

The feeling of being completely filled made her quiver, and Ben stifled a sudden moan, biting his lip as soon as she began to move.

"Shit, Rey, this feels so good."

"How did I resist all this time?" she breathed out.

"I just thought you were immune to my charm."

His huge palms rested on her breasts and began to knead them gently, rubbing her hardened nipples with his thumbs. Rey instinctively arched backwards to increase the friction. The pressure was mounting. Her skin began to glow with sweat.

She needed more support as she began to ride him harder, so she put her hands on his, moving them from her chest to press their palms together, interlacing their fingers.

"God, Rey, I'm going crazy," Ben growled.

He had closed his eyes. She could see that he was struggling to control himself and, playfully, she sped up again. But she was soon caught in her own trap. The orgasm returned, even more intense this time. She didn't even have time to scream. For a few stunning moments, she couldn't see, couldn't tell up from down, didn't know whether she was still straddling Ben Solo in the middle of the bed or had been thrown far out into the stratosphere.

She collapsed on top of him, trying to catch her breath, and she was still shuddering with pleasure when their positions were switched again. She found herself pressed against the mattress, her thighs spread apart by the hips of her lover, who had now begun to pound her mercilessly while she was shaken by another spasm. It was unbelievable. Was she going to come again? She felt like she was rediscovering her body. Since when had she been able to have two orgasms in a row only a few seconds apart? But she already had the answer. It was because of him. Because of Ben. Because of the magic of his fingers, the scent of his skin, the strange connection that seemed to have formed between them the minute they both let their guards down.

"Ben, your back," she stammered, her eyes half-closed, and Ben let out a small laugh.

Absolutely amazing and so adorable. In the middle of a hot session of sex, Rey still found a way to worry about him. This woman was a gift from heaven and he was never going to let her leave his arms again. In response, he accelerated once more, and felt Rey about to tip back over the edge.

"Oh my God, Ben, yes..."

They both had their mouths open and their eyes locked. The world consisted of just her and just him, and then he felt Rey's velvet sex contract violently around him while she stopped breathing. He too was breathless. He threw his head back and exploded inside her with a hoarse groan. The flood of endorphins left him in a state of total bliss, and he crashed with all his weight alongside Rey.

Once the condom was removed and dropped at the foot of the bed, both of them lay still for a moment, eyes on the ceiling and breath jerky, patiently waiting for their heartbeats to return to normal.

"What a good idea you had to come over," Ben spoke first, stroking the young woman's hip with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, it was an excellent idea," Rey replied, curling up against him.

She brushed her hand over his waist, then moved it up to his neck to plunge her fingers into his hair and trace the curve of his ear. Ben turned his head towards her and she raised her chin to kiss him tenderly.

"I don't want to go to Florida tomorrow morning, I want to keep you with me in this room until the end of time," he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Oh I really love that idea too," she replied against his mouth.

And Ben sighed with contentment, telling himself that he really was the happiest man in the world right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note 1: So OK he's not in pajamas and she's not wearing an AC / DC T-shirt but this fanart gift from Ponyopapier is absolutely fabulous. I could not put it elsewhere than as an illustration of this chapter. Thank you Ponyo !!!!! ❤  
> 
> 
> Note 2: Rian Dameron of course because Rian johnson is my hero and Frances Dameron because of Carrie Frances Fisher 🧡

**Author's Note:**

> Nancy and I both love kudos and comments! 😉


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